Before He Lived
by novemberthird
Summary: Ever wonder what led Snape to call Lily a mudblood, the cause of Peter's betrayal, the realization of James and Lily's feelings for one another? The torture of a werewolf and rebellion of Sirius Black? Will explore the characters's backstories before Hogwarts, the seven years at Hogwarts, and the moments leading to the deaths of the Potters.
1. Infection

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series, or any characters except for those I make up like Annalee Abbott (thought JKR does own the Abbotts in general). I also do not own** _ **Monster**_ **by** _ **Imagine Dragons.**_ **Some spells will be mine but none in this chapter. All spells in this chapter are from JKR or Harry Potter wikia. Some of the description for things are hers as well (the hall, McGonagall's speech).**

 **This chapter is long but the next two will most likely not be this long (this chapter was a hundred short of nine thousand words).**

 **WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THIS FANFICTION:**

 **-Jily eventually**

 **-Marauder friendship (yes, including Pettigrew)**

 **-Snape and James fighting**

 **-Dark Arts Snape (I don't really like Snape, nor do I think James or Lily drove him to join Voldemort)**

 **-The rising of Voldemort (not sure if I'll have Voldemort himself yet).**

 **-Pranks**

 **-Smart Sirius and James (does anyone get annoyed when people make them seem like idiots? I mean McGonagall herself said they were exceedingly bright.)**

 **-Mischievous Remus (he will be smart, but I feel like some fanfics make him seem too book-centered, yes he cared about his grades, but he's still a Marauder)**

 **-Silly (or not so silly) James and Lily interactions**

 **-Sirius and Regulus**

 **-Lily and Petunia**

 **-The animagus process**

 **-Fun Lily (same reason as Remus. Lily in a lot of fanfics I've read is usually too book-centered or seems like a total loner with no friends. In the OotP flashback she was with a group of girls who I assume were her friends, plus she tells Snape her friends don't know why she's even talks to him).**

 **-How the rest of the Marauders and Lily find out about Moony (Lily will not find out before the Marauders, I hate the movie quote by Remus because it made it seem like the Marauders weren't supportive like no! I haven't decided when I'll have her find out yet but I'm debating between _ year or _).**

 **-The falling out of Snape and Lily (I don't mean the flashback from DH and OotP, I just think that him calling her that was just the last straw).**

 **-Neither Sirius nor Remus will be falling in love with anyone. A) because Remus refers to Sirius as a ladies' man on Pottermore B) on Pottermore it says Remus had never been in love before Tonks. I will, however, probably give him a girlfriend at one point.**

 **-and more!**

 **WHAT** _ **NOT**_ **TO EXPECT:**

 **-the Marauders not liking and mistreating Peter at every second (I hate the guy, but James and Sirius wouldn't be friends with someone if they didn't like the person)**

 **-Peter being** _ **completely**_ **talentless (he was a bleeding animagus, even if he had help he still did it, he can't have been bad at everything).**

 **-James shagging every bleeding girl in the bloody school (I really hate this because I don't think Lily would ever fall for a guy like that.)**

 **-James asking Lily Evans out every day (one, that is creepy and again Lily wouldn't go out with someone like that. Two, I can't see James taking rejection like that everyday and still being arrogant.)**

 **-James being a bully for the sole reason of being an arse (except with Snape maybe, but neither are innocent).**

 **READ AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE BOTTOM FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THE NEXT FEW CHAPTERS.**

 **Also, this chapter is primarily about Remus, from the beginning of his life basically until his first day at Hogwarts. Enjoy!**

—

" **Monster," Imagine Dragons**

—

This is the story of children who became soldiers in a war they didn't start. The story of children paying for their parents' mistakes. The story of how two boys loved one girl. The story of four friends. The story of two sisters and two brothers, and what drove them apart. The story of friendship and love and heartbreak and mischief managed. This is the story of Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs. The Story of Snape and Lily, Lily and James and how their story unfolded before the Chosen One. This is the story of before "the-boy-who-lived," lived.

—

Lyall Lupin had everything a man his age could ever hope for—a loving wife and son. His son was everything he could have wished for and more, having just turned four, Remus had been displaying extraordinary accidental magic for the past several months.

"Dad!" Remus ran towards him. "Come see what I did to mam!" Remus took his hand dragging him to see his wife. The site of her made him burst into laughter. Remus had not only turned her hair neon green but also managed to make it spiky.

"Hello, love, lovely color don't you think?" Remus grinned, "It almost matches her eyes."

Hope attempted to glare but cracked a smile. "Be a dear and change it back, please."

Lyall Lupin flicked his wand at her, shooting a white light. "There as good as new."

"I'm so proud of our little wizard. It won't be long before he's at Hogwarts," Hope said tearfully, sitting Remus on her lap.

"A Gryffindor at heart," Lyall said smiling down at them.

"I don't know," she smiled back at him. "From what you described, I can see him being a Ravenclaw."

"What if I'm neither," Remus asked.

"It doesn't matter, son, we'll love you either way."

—

"How was work today?" Hope Lupin asked her husband one night after putting their son to bed.

"Well, I suppose. I was asked to join the Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures today. I accepted." He told her. "They're overloaded with cases of Dark Creatures and thought I'd be well suited for the job considering my work with Non-Human Spiritous Apparitions."

"Is it dangerous?" She wondered.

"No more than hunting boggarts," he grinned remembering how they met. "Don't worry, everything will be fine."

"I love you,"

"I love you too," he said, kissing her briefly.

—

Lyall had been working in his department for months now and he had yet to encounter a werewolf. Until now. There had been multiple attacks that seemed linked to _them_ , but they usually brought in confused muggles (if anything). Fenrir Greyback was different, he could tell. His jaw was slightly clenched, and his body was tense—possible agitation from the upcoming full moon. He was extremely pale as if he were ill. The others hadn't noticed yet, he claimed to be a muggle tramp—that would account for his ill look.

It was hard to tell who the real werewolves were from the fake, the Werewolf Registry was badly maintained nowadays and those who had been infected with the disease tended to live in packs and avoid detection in order to remain unregistered. Greyback was here after being sighted hours after the deaths of two muggle children—the children appeared to had died from a dog attack, but the wizarding community knew better—near the scene of the crime. He denied everything and pretended to be shocked at the existence of wizards.

"Poor children," uttered Greyback, "Do you have any leads?" He looked horrified at the talk of the children, that mixed with his filthy muggle clothes and lack of wand convinced two of the interrogators of his story, yet Lyall still suggested keeping him until the full moon the following day.

"Lyall, you stick to Welsh Boggarts, that's what you're good at." He was ridiculed by his fellow co-workers while Greyback sat there quietly. Lyall was angry by their ridicule and ignorance of the beast, he described werewolves as "soulless, evil, deserving nothing but death," causing him to be ordered out the room.

—

On the sixteenth of February, young Remus Lupin's life would change forever. Unknown to him, Fenrir Greyback would exact his revenge upon Lyall that night as Remus slept peacefully after another long day of playing with his mum. Fenrir quietly forced open Remus's window and waited for his transformation to complete. When he transformed, he sprung upon the child, clawing at his back and biting his neck. Remus screamed loudly at the feeling of something clawing at him.

Remus fell off his bed and came face to face with the beast that would forever haunt him. _Was it a big dog?_ The beast had a wild look to it, as if it was glad.

Lyall came through the door shouting spells to get the beast away from his son.

"Expulso!" He shouted, his wand pointed at the mutt. The spells became stronger until the animal jumped out the window. Lyall closed the window and uttered protection spells to keep them safe. He looked back to his son and saw his wife (when did she get here?) hugging a barely conscious child.

Lyall rushed to Remus's side and began chanting healing spells, it wasn't enough. Lyall rushed to his study to grab potions and potion ingredients he kept for emergencies. After mixing powdered silver with dittany, he applied it to Remus neck to seal his bite; he attempted to use it to heal the scars, but they wouldn't heal. Remus Lupin would forever wear those scars on his back because of him.

Lyall focused on the fact that his son was alive. He could not let his guilt over Greyback (for what other werewolf would have have any reason to sneak into his house and touch his son?) just yet—he'd have time for guilt later—but right now, Remus needed him.

Lyall focused on getting Remus's blood loss under control by giving him a bit of a Blood-Replenishing Potion every hour for the next several hours. Remus slept in his parents' bed that night. Lyall and Hope Lupin didn't sleep that night. They knew what was to occur; Remus John Lupin would be a werewolf. Lyall Lupin was filled with grief at the fate he had convicted his son to, he regretted the day that he voiced his—and the wizarding community's—opinion on werewolves in Greyback's presence, but he would do anything in his power to help his son overcome this. This was Lyall's fault, after all.

—

Remus's first transformation occurred a week after his fifth birthday. His parents locked him in the basement, protected with enchantments and silencing spells to prevent Remus from escaping or neighbors from stopping by. His parents waited outside the door.

The werewolf was confused. Where was he, it wondered. He could smell human flesh just outside the door, yet he could not escape. The pup was hungry; he began to whimper after an hour of trying to escape. It needed flesh, there was no flesh in the room, no flesh but himself. With that thought he began to bite himself, it didn't taste as good as human flesh surely would, but it would suffice.

Hours went by until he transformed back. Remus lied on the basement floor, half-asleep when he heard the voice of his mother, "Remy, dear?"

"Mam?" His voice was just above a whisper. His mother and father came in a minute or so, they had tears running down their faces. "I'm sorry," He whispered to his parents.

"It's not your fault, son," His father said as he carefully picked his son off the cold floor and carried him up to his bedroom to patch him up.

—

Months and moons passed by quickly, the Lupins had moved houses multiple times as a result of Remus's transformations. In muggle towns and villages, the families grew suspicious that the poor Lupin boy was being abused by his parents. Remus Lupin frequently sported bruises and scratches on his body from banging on objects while attempting to escape his prison. He avoided people and was always on alert as if expecting something bad to occur, the idea of him being abused wasn't as absurd as one would think but it was by his werewolf self. Wizarding folks were more dangerous to the Lupin's secret, they were the ones who suspected the truth as Remus disappeared once a month and his ill appearance as the full moon approached.

Remus was used to the moving (he felt bad for his mother and father, it wasn't their faults he was a werewolf). He was used to people's stares. He, however, could never get used to not being allowed to play with other children. He knew not to complain to his parents after the first time he asked.

" _Mam? Dad?"_

" _Yes, Rem?" His father asked as he sat writing in his journal. He often wrote about his adventures with whatever creature he had encountered that day._

" _May I go play outside with the other lads?" His voice was almost pleading. After spending all week inside recovering from his transformation (or the flu as the muggle neighbors assumed), he was desperate for some time outside with others his age—something he'd never been allowed._

 _His father's face showed a mixture of agony and guilt. "I'm sorry, Remus, but you can't play with the other children."_

" _Why not?" He asked sadly._

" _It's dangerous, Rem, if someone were to find out about your, er, condition." He hesitated, "They wouldn't understand, son. You're our clever little boy, and our job is to keep you safe."_

" _Okay," He said sadly before retreating to his room to sulk for the day._

He hasn't dared make another request to his parents after that day.

—

Lyall Lupin tried everything he could to find a cure for his son. Years and galleons spent searching for a cure that most likely didn't exist—not to mention the secret potions and charms. Lyall worked morning to early evenings (to suddenly quit working at the ministry and disappear would certainly raise suspicion) and spent most of his nights teaching Remus simple spells and telling him how to identify certain creatures.

"Fumos," He uttered as a cloud of dark grey smoke appeared. "It can be used if you ever need to make a quick escape, but it doesn't last long. But it lasts long to cast another spell to help you escape or to distract your enemy while you hex them."

Remus grinned at his father as he eyed Lyall's wand. "When do I get my own wand?"

Lyall smiled gently, "Rem, you're only seven. I've told you, you can get your own wand once you're eleven."

"When I go to Hogwarts?" He asked with his childlike innocence. Lyall had been wrong about werewolves. He had been scared once Remus had been inflicted with his condition that he wouldn't be the same boy, but Remus remained as lovable and clever as before. It was never the condition that caused certain werewolves to become cruel but people's attitude toward them and their own bitterness. Remus wasn't like that and would never be like that, he told himself.

"I'm not sure that's wise. Professor Dippet, the Headmaster, may not be able to make the accommodations necessary for you." He lied. Dippet valued his students' safety and a werewolf would surely endanger them.

"Oh…" He was quiet for a moment. "But I still get a wand, right?"

His father smiled sadly, "Of course, son. I promise."

The older Remus became, the more Lyall and Hope worried and feared for their family. Remus's werewolf form was strong enough now to pound down doors and smash windows; they had to move him to a shed miles from home in order to hide him. He never complained; their son was everything they could have hoped for but because of his condition he would be an outcast, a monster to the ignorant. Remus wouldn't be able to go to Hogwarts—surely Dumbledore wouldn't want Remus anymore than Dippet would—as his parents had once dreamed he would, so Lyall Lupin continued to teach his son things he should be learning in Hogwarts.

"Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces, Rem, wardrobes, the cupboards under sinks, but they can also be seen in the woods or dark corners. They take on the form of what they think frightens us the most." He paused to think over his next words, "They're born out of human emotions, like poltergeists and dementors—although unlike the other two, no one really knows what a boggart's true form looks like. Do you know how to get rid of a boggart?"

"You ask them nicely?" He said innocently. Lyall laughed.

"Not quiet, son. It's best to have company when dealing with one, that's your first lesson. The charm that I'm about to teach you is quite easy, but it requires some imagination. You see, the thing that really finishes it off is laughter. What you need to do is force it to assume a shape that you find comical. The charm is Riddikulus!"

"Riddikulus?" Remus found the spell quite amusing. "I see."

"Now, your mother's been hearing a noise coming from the grandfather clock, so we're going to check it out."

Remus stood up to follow his father into the lounge.

He heard a rattling sound coming from the mahogany clock in the corner of the room. "So, Remus, when I open the door on the clock, the boggart will appear. You mustn't be scared when facing it, you must remember that whatever you see is not real." Lyall handed Remus his wand, "It won't work as well as your own, but It'll do."

Remus nodded, eager to face his first boggart. Once the boggart was in his presence it looked big, like a dog. Remus knew what it really was though, he wasn't four anymore. The _dog_ in front of him was a werewolf—was it him? It looked vicious and hungry. Did he look like this?

"Riddikulus!" Remus screamed. It didn't work. Remus tried the spell a few more times, the wolf stayed back—maybe it knew what he was. Suddenly, the werewolf found its legs tied up as it tried to hop around. To top it off, he wasn't too pleased about the party hat on his head. The werewolf looked kind of cute when it wasn't trying to be mean. Remus giggled, his father gave a faint chuckle.

"Hand over the wand, Rem." He walked over and gave it to his father while the boggart was still distracted. What he saw next wasn't quite what Remus expected his father, the same father who fought off boggarts weekly if not daily to be afraid of. His boggart was Remus—it wasn't even werewolf Remus.

"This is your fault!" The other Remus screamed. "You're the reason I'll never have a normal life!" He turned to look at his father, he was looked ill. His normally vivid blue eyes looked dim.

"Dad?" Remus questioned lightly.

"Riddikulus!" His father yelled as loud as he could. Imposter Remus grew bunny ears from his head and rode a unicycle. Remus began laughing loudly with his dad chiming in, he thought his father was brilliant.

When Remus finally fell silent something occurred to him, "Dad what did the boggart mean? What is your fault? And what does it have to do with me living a normal life?"

Lyall Lupin felt as if he was still facing his boggart. Remus will hate him once the truth is out. Lyall couldn't keep this from him forever, and Remus trusted his father to be honest with him. The time for the truth has finally come.

"This is more of a tea and biscuits discussion, Rem." He paused for another moment, "Come on, I think your mom made the chocolate chip ones you like."

Remus listened to his father as he told him the story of how he had offended Fenrir Greyback, it hurt Remus to hear how his father feels (or had felt) about what he was, but he continued to listen, occasionally nibbling on a biscuit. "I know it's not true anymore, what I originally thought. I was a berk to think that, but you must understand that all I've ever heard about werewolves is that they killed people or changed them. But that's no excuse. I'm sorry, Remy, it's all my fault. My fault you don't have friends. My fault you can't go to Hogwarts. My fault if you're isolated from our community. It's alright if you blame me."

Remus thought out his next words carefully, "I don't blame you, dad, I love you. You weren't the one who killed the muggle children, you weren't the one who turned me into a werewolf, you weren't the one who likes doing this to children. You probably shouldn't have insulted Greyback, but my, er, condition isn't your fault. You shouldn't feel guilty, I'd never hold it against you. You and mum do so much for me, sure I'd like to have friends my age and go to Hogwarts, but at least I'm loved and cared for." Remus didn't want to tell his father that he used to feel bad for the werewolf that bit him because he thought it had no choice.

—

Months passed by slowly for the youngest Lupin, but before he knew it, he'd be turning eleven in a month. Another big change occurred for Remus that month. On the fifth day of February, Albus Dumbledore—the current Headmaster at Hogwarts—arrived on the Lupins' doorstep uninvited. Hope and Lyall Lupin feared their secret was finally out. They became flustered as they attempted to get Professor Dumbledore to leave.

"It's not a good time, Professor. We were just heading out." Lyall blurted out as he positioned himself in front of the door, blocking Dumbledore.

Yet five minutes later he sat with Remus by the fireside enjoying one of the crumpets the young lad had offered him as Remus set up the Gobstones set his father had bought him and chatting amiably with the weird professor in front of him.

"Professor, what are you doing here?" Lyall finally asked after moments of watching his son and the Headmaster play.

"I became aware of young Remus' condition quite some time ago, Lyall." Dumbledore looked at Remus with a sad smile on his face. "You see, Fenrir Greyback seemed to have enjoyed gloating over his activities with children and seemed to think turning your son was quite the conquest. Fortunately, I have my own sources amongst the werewolves."

"That's all very well, Professor, but what does this have to do with why you're here?" Lyall paled for a moment, "You aren't reporting us for not registering him, are you?"

"You misunderstand my intentions, Lyall." He chuckled. "I am here to offer Remus a place at Hogwarts."

The room grew quiet. Remus himself was quite shocked. _Was the Headmaster serious?_ His father, however, was the one to voice his question. "Are you being serious," His father asked before quickly adding, "Headmaster?" to make up for his outburst.

"I am quite serious, I see no reason why Remus should not be allowed to attend Hogwarts. I have arranged for there to be a secure place for Remus to transform by the time September arrives." He then began to explain to the Lupins about the Willow tree and the tunnel to an enchanted house in Hogsmeade. "Madam Pomfrey will escort him out every full moon before his transformation and bring him back the morning after." There was a faint smile on his face as he saw Remus' intense gaze. "I guarantee you, Remus will be as safe at Hogwarts as he is here during his transformations, maybe even more so. There will be no more moving away as I've heard you've done plenty these past few years."

"His secret needs to be kept safe, people wouldn't understand." Lyall pleaded with Dumbledore.

"And it will be, for Remus' sake. I was not suggesting that he broadcast it. But he needs to be able to interact with other children his age, otherwise, Greyback has succeeded in what he meant to do. He wants his victims to be outcast, but it matters not what someone is, but what they grow to be."

"So I can have mates?" Remus uttered in excitement.

"Of course, as many as you desire." There was a twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes as he watched the young child. "But pick wisely. People aren't always what they seem." He got up from his place and stood up to leave. "I must get going, I have business to attend to, an owl will be arriving sometime in July. Good day, Lupins."

"I'm going to Hogwarts." He said in awe, not noticing when Dumbledore left.

—

Remus very much enjoyed exploring Diagon Alley. Madam Malkin was a very friendly lady who chatted away with Remus's mother as she took his measurements and adjusted his robes. Remus stood as still as any child possibly could—which really meant he was becoming impatient—until she declared herself finished with him. Once he collected the dragon hide gloves, a winter cloak, and a pointed hat, he walked up to the register to pay for his clothes. He handed Madam Malkin a handful of Galleons and waited very patiently for his change before taking his bag and saying a brief—but polite— "thank you."

Hope rambled on about how dashing Remus looked in his school robes, fussing over how pale he looks. He laughed, "Of course I am, mam,"

"I'm going to miss you, but I am so happy for you," She pulled him into a tight hug, "I love you so much, Remy."

"I love you too, mam, but you still have me for another month." He hugged her back before pulling away and leading her to the ice cream parlour.

His father was sitting already sitting at a table waiting for them with bowls of ice cream. "Hello, honey, Rem. How did it go?"

"It was splendid, love." She began explaining to him all about the latest wizarding styles Madam Malkin was telling her about as Remus took bites of his dessert. His father laughed at her rambling, "Darling, you don't even wear robes."

"But if I did, I would look lovely." He agreed as they ate their ice cream. It was good to see his parents happy.

After another hour of shopping, Remus was dead on his feet. Although he enjoyed seeing the interesting ingredients Mr. Mulpepper had to offer, he could do without the smell of bad eggs and rotten cabbages. Remus was glad all that was left to buy was his wand, his father promised him a few surprises and a lunch in The Leaky Cauldron after.

Remus found himself entering an old and narrow shop with the words, " _Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C._ " in faded gold.

Remus' dad was almost glowing as they entered the place—it was like he was getting _his_ first wand. Remus probably looked the same.

The shop was tiny, with not much in the shop besides the wands (as one would expect) and a spindly chair in the corner.

Mr. Ollivander looked up as they entered the shop. He was an old man with wide, pale eyes. He looked like he could tell you the secrets of the universe.

"Lyall Lupin, nine and a half inches, dragon heartstring, Hawthorn." Ollivander said looking at his father reminiscently. "It feels like you were in here just yesterday."

"Hello, Mr. Ollivander. This is my wife—Hope." Father said briefly. "Remus here is starting his first year at Hogwarts this September."

"Let us find a wand for him then. Or the opposite, I suppose—the wand chooses the wizard, Mr. Lupin."

Remus tried a variety of wands from a swishy ten and a quarter inches, willow with a dragon heartstring core to a pliable mahogany, eleven inches with a unicorn core. Finally, the one that worked for Remus was a ten and a quarter inches, pliable, wand made of cypress with a unicorn core.

Remus kept flicking it and accidentally making boxes fall, Mr. Ollivander didn't seem to mind—he looked delighted in fact.

One of his father's surprises ended up being a baby, golden Persian cat from the Magical Menagerie. The cat was an eight part kneazle, and his tail looked like a lion's. He decide to name him Leo.

—

September first came as fast as ever, Remus was extremely excited as he approached his parents who were ready to apparate to King's Cross. It was ten past ten, but Remus wanted to get there early to find a compartment even if he was a bit pale from the approaching full moon.

After walking between the barrier of platforms nine and ten, Remus stood chatting with his parents as he watched other children—potential mates—with their parents and examined the area. Where the ticket box had once been was a wrought-iron archway with the words _platform nine and three-quarters_. After twenty minutes of his parents saying how proud they were of Remus and helping him lift his trunk onto the train, Remus said a goodbye to his parents before parting ways with a final hug. He noticed a few older kids pass him wearing badges with P's but they varied with gold and red, blue and bronze, yellow and black, and green and silver. Remus sat in an empty compartment by himself for a while hoping for company, the thought of having friends made Remus feel giddy. Eventually, another boy came and sat with him, but he took one look at Remus and gave him a look as if he were dirt. Remus turned his attention back to his cat and played with him. He began to wonder if maybe it wouldn't be so easy to make friends.

Thirty minutes passed before a girl and boy came into his compartment steaming. The girl was pretty with dark red hair and green eyes. The boy looked like he'd very much wanted to leave. His sallow complexion and dark oily hair gave the impression of someone badly taken care of, his black eyes reminded Remus of a picture he had seen in his father's books—the picture of a dementor.

The girl spoke first, "Hello," her voice was quiet but confident. "I'm Lily, and this is my friend Severus." She gestured towards the bloke standing next to her, giving him a look that said Remus shouldn't be allowed in their presence. "May we sit with you?"

"Of course, I'm Remus Lupin," he said politely. His cat poked its head out from his hiding spot under Remus's seat. It came out and sprung itself at the boy called Severus. He tried kicking Leo as the girl tried stopping him, "Severus, don't kick it!"

"Leo, stop that!" Remus said as he pried the cat off of him. The boy glared at him, "Let's go, Lily."

Lily, however, was busy babying the cat. "Leo did you say?" She petted Leo adoringly. "What kind of cat is he? I've never seen one with that kind of tail."

"He's a Persian Cat, and he's an eight part kneazle."

"Kneazle?" She questioned.

"You're a muggle-born?" He asked quite politely, she nodded. "They are very quite intelligent creatures, appearance-wise, they are a bit like cats. They have big ears, lion-like tails, and have spotted fur. They mate with cats, but even part-kneazles can detect suspicious people." He glanced briefly at Severus.

"Severus isn't suspicious," She stated in a defiant tone.

"I did not mean to offend you, Lily. I mean maybe the babies are not as intuitive."

She still seemed out off. "I'll see you around, Remus," she uttered before walking out of the compartment with Severus who sneered at him.

—

Remus hurried over to the boats and stopped in front of one with two black haired boys who were attempting to throw each other off the boats. Remus wondered if he was making the right discussion but shrugged, they couldn't possibly be worse than the kids who he had already met. "May I join you, lads?" He asked as politely as he could.

"Of course, hop in," The boy who spoke had untidy black hair that stuck up at the back and hazel eyes that shined with a mischievous glint. "I'm James Potter," He said and resumed his attempt at shoving the boy off. "This goofball is Sirius, but he won't tell me his last name. Says it's a surprise, you know." Remus eyed the other boy who laughed. Sirius's hair although similar to James's in color was far more elegant, although the length should have made him look a bit odd, it suited him. His eyes were grey and seemed to hold determination, bitterness, and—like James's —a bit of mischief.

"My name is Remus Lupin." He managed to say. The hazel-eyed boy intimidated him a bit. It wasn't in a bad way, but rather in a way one would feel in the presence of someone they knew to be good at everything, someone you could never live up to.

James finally managed to push Sirius in only to be pulled down along with them. They roared with laughter as Remus tried to pull them back up. He saw Lily turn to glare at them. Maybe she holds grudges a bit too close to her heart?

He finally managed to pull James and Sirius up from holding on to the boat (he had suspected they were trying to drag him down too, but he didn't mind—they were the first ones not to glare or sneer at him today) when they arrived. James and Sirius were soaking wet but grinning nonetheless. Remus muttered a quick spell after grabbing his wand from inside his robe, doing the wand movement his dad had instilled in him all those months ago. The wand emitted hot air, which steamed their robes as they began to dry.

James looked impressed, "Thanks, mate," Sirius simply nodded his approval, focusing more on Hagrid the gamekeeper.

The door had just opened to reveal a tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes. She didn't look like the type of woman you could cross and live to tell the tale. Remus turned to look at James and Sirius—who he noticed, eyed the black-haired witch like a challenge.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."

They entered the Entrance Hall, his father hadn't been lying when he had been describing the beauty of Hogwarts. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches, the ceiling was too high to make out (and he hadn't thought he'd see anything taller than Hagrid), and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors. He couldn't wait to explore every inch of this school.

They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Sirius and James were ahead of him, attempting to see which one could annoy Lily and Severus the most. He heard what seemed like hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right–the older students must be waiting for their arrival. Remus had assumed they too would be led through the doorway, but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, peering about nervously.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start of term feast will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. While you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory and spend free time in your house common room. The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule breaking," she eyed James and Sirius were grinning, "will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting." Her eyes lingered for a moment on Remus's pale face—he noticed a hint of pity—before turning to eye Severus's oily hair and James's disheveled locks. James instead of trying to fix it just ruffled it up even more.

"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly." She eyed Sirius and James who were pretending to sword fight with their wands—most likely attempting to rile up the professor. She left the chamber, and Remus began watching Sirius and James with a strange affection for several minutes.

"How exactly do they sort us into houses?" Lily asked out loud.

"Some sort of test, I think. My older brother said it we have to go through trials of deeds, but I think he was lying." A blond haired boy said nervously.

Remus suddenly became nervous. What if he failed, and they sent him back to England? His parents would be so disappointed in him, this is his one chance. Why hadn't he asked his father on the actual process of being sorted? He had yet to finish _Hogwarts: A History_ due to all his preparations in actually coming here. He looked around anxiously and saw that mostly everyone else looked terrified too. James and Sirius looked as if everyone else has lost their heads.

"That's not how you get sorted," Sirius said sounding exasperated. "You get sorted by the Sorting Hat."

"The Sorting Hat?" A girl asked skeptically.

"It's a talking hat that the founders left behind so students would be able to be sorted after they were gone." James explained to her. "Dad said the hat was originally Godric Gryffindor's."

"You expect us to believe that we're sorted by a talking hat? We're not that easy to fool." James was about to respond to Lily when McGonagall returned.

"The Sorting Ceremony is about to begin." She looked at James and Lily before continuing,"Now, form a line, and follow me."

Remus got into line behind Sirius, with a mousy haired boy behind him, and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.

It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that floated in mid-air over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the Hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting.

Professor McGonagall led them up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver. Remus looked around in amazement, he looked up and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. It looked so realistic that it was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall didn't simply open onto the heavens.

Remus looked back down as Professor Mcgonagall placed a four-legged stool in front of the first-years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. He heard James say a quick "I told you so," and he noticed for the first time that Lily was standing a few spots in front of James, he saw Lily blush slightly as she turned around to glare at James. Remus turned his attention back to the hat, it was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. The first years looked around not knowing what to do, suddenly the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth—and the hat began to sing its song.

The whole Hall burst into applause as the hat finished singing. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again. Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Annalee," was called first to sit on the stool. She was blonde with her hair in pigtails and was sorted into Hufflepuff.

"Black, Sirius," wasn't called long after Annalee. He saw James stiffen besides him once Sirius had begun to walk—avoiding looking at James as he did—slowly towards the hat as if he dreaded it.

"He didn't say he was a Black," James said.

"Does it matter?" Remus whispered back.

"No," he said as if convincing himself, "Sirius won't be like them. I won't let him." Remus wasn't sure if he was talking more to him or himself.

Sirius finally allowed the hat to be put on him after a glare from Professor McGonagall. It didn't take long for the hat to decide, " _Gryffindor!_ "

Sirius seemed shocked as he walked over to the Gryffindor table hesitantly. The Slytherin table fell silent, there was an anger there mixed with shock. He noticed a blonde girl blush as the people surrounding her stared pointedly. The blond boy next to her gave her an annoyed look as if she were at fault.

The Gryffindor table looked skeptical before clapping softly, some even looked smug as they glanced at the Slytherin table. Sirius sat down gracefully but still had a look of worry as the Slytherins glared at him, yet Remus could see the hint of a grin.

"What was that about?" He asked James quietly.

"The Black family are _always_ sorted into Slytherin." James still looked a bit shocked but was grinning. "Not only did he become the first Black to be sorted outside Slytherin, but he became the first Gryffindor to be sorted today. Slytherins and Gryffindors tend to hate each other."

He watched as the sorting process continued. He noticed Lily walk forward on trembling legs and sit down upon the rickety stool. Professor McGonagall dropped the Sorting Hat onto her head, and barely a second after it had touched the dark red hair, the hat cried, " _Gryffindor_!"

Remus heard a tiny groan from Severus, Remus supposed that Lily's friend wasn't planning to be in Gryffindor; his attitude made it seem like he found it far beneath him. Perhaps he was hoping for Ravenclaw or Slytherin? Lily took off the hat, handed it back to the professor, then hurried toward the cheers of the Gryffindors, but as she went she glanced back at the oily haired boy, and there was a sad little smile on her face. Remus saw Sirius move up the bench to make room for her. She took one look at him, folded her arms, and firmly turned her back on him (quite strange).

"Hmm… Lily Evans." James said faintly. "She's going to _love_ being in the same house with Sirius and me." Remus glanced at James and saw a mischievous glint in his eyes. _So he wasn't the only one who had met Lily today_ , he thought amusingly. He saw a glare coming from Severus.

The roll call continued, and Remus watched—with comments from James—the line get thinner until he was called. "Good luck," James said.

He nodded and sat upon the still, allowing McGonagall to set the hat on his head.

" _Hmm...so you're the werewolf,"_ it whispered in his ear. _"Plenty of knowledge, I see. You'd do well in Ravenclaw."_

Remus was saddened for a minute, but it wouldn't be the worst thing if he was in Ravenclaw.

" _You want to make your parents and Professor Dumbledore proud, prove to yourself that you're better than your infliction."_ The hat seemed pensive for a moment, _"But you just want to be accepted, to have friends, and you're a bit mischievous. Better be GRYFFINDOR!"_ Remus smiled and handed the hat back to Professor McGonagall who he thought _almost_ smiled.

He wasn't sure where to sit once he got to the table and the cheers stopped. Was he allowed to sit was Sirius without James or did Sirius simply put up with him because they shared a boat? Luckily for him Sirius made his choice for him, "Oi, Remus, join me, mate!" Remus sat across from Sirius, he noticed Lily had shifted a few seats down.

He tried to stifle his laughs as Sirius made offhand comments about what animal be thought everyone would be—he said Anna Lestrange would be a good troll, although she wasn't bad looking. He watched the mousy haired boy from before (Peter Pettigrew) join their table followed soon after by James, his eyes flickered to Lily as she emitted a groan. At last, when only a dozen students remained to be sorted, Professor McGonagall called forward Severus Snape.

The hat didn't hesitate in crying out, " _Slytherin_!" the moment it touched his head.

Snape moved to where the Slytherins were cheering him, to where the blond Slytherin boy from earlier patted him on the back as he sat down beside him. . . .

After the last student was sorted into their house— _Perhaps it was Hufflepuff, but who can tell with Sirius and James around?—_ the Headmaster stood up.

"Welcome" he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our feast I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Corpulent! Sap! Jobbernowl! Scuzzy! Thank you!"

Remus looked to James and Sirius in order to understand, but they looked lost as well.

"What took you so long to get sorted, Remus?" James asked curiously.

"Oh, the hat couldn't decide between placing me in Ravenclaw or Gryffindor." He responded as he dug into his roast beef, "I am delighted to be in Gryffindor though, my dad will be thrilled—he was a Gryffindor."

"Ravenclaw's not bad, my mum was one. Although, I've would never want to be sorted into that house, they tend to be a bit of know-it-alls." He said in between bites before setting setting it down, "Bloody hell, I almost forgot," he said before turning to Sirius, "You never said you were a Black, what did you think I'd feed you to the giant squid?"

"In his defense, you did try," Remus said in his attempt to lighten the tension in Sirius. To his relief, they both roared with laughter.

"I apologize for attempting to assassinate you, my good sir," James said as he handed Sirius his napkin as a favor.

"All is forgiven, my dear gentleman," Sirius said with the same twinkle in his eyes that Remus saw in James. It dimmed down a little as Sirius became his namesake, "I don't want to be like my family, beheading house-elves because they get old, treated like royalty because of my name. I'm blood amazing, I don't need that name to tell me so." He took a bite of his potatoes.

"I believe you, Sirius Black. You're a bloody Gryffindor."

He saw James take a quick look at Lily Evans before grinning. "What did you lads do to Lily?" He asked uncertain if this was the kind of thing that one asked to almost strangers. "I mean, never mind, it's your business not mine."

"Don't be ridiculous, Remus, you're our mate." Sirius said grinning.

Remus blushed slightly.

"We were sharing a compartment—Lily, Sirius, and I. Anyways, she was sitting in the corner when that greasy git came in. They were talking, and he said that she better be in Slytherin. That was obviously an insult!" James looked slightly hesitant but continued, "And I may have insinuated that I'd rather leave than ever be sorted there. Sirius here asked where I wanted to go, I, of course, said Gryffindor." He looked a bit agitated as he ruffled his hair.

"Snivellus insulted Gryffindor saying by insinuating that our house only cares about strength not intelligence, but we'll show the git." Sirius added with a grin. "Evans knows him somehow, she told us off and stormed off with him."

"We also may have tripped and nicknamed him." James added thoughtfully. "Anyways, why'd you ask?"

"Oh, I met them after you I suppose. I thought she was glaring at me at first."

"Why would she?" Sirius asked looking at him like he grew a second head.

"I have a pet cat named Leo you see, my dad bought him for me for getting into Hogwarts. Leo is an eight kneazle, and you know how kneazle can tell when someone is an untrustworthy person." he rambled on. "Anyways, Leo attacked her friend—he tried kicking Leo off—and I was explaining to her what kind of cat Leo was and accidentally implied that he was a suspicious person."

The two boys looked at him seriously for a moment before laughing again. Sirius's laugh reminded him of a dog while James's laugh was filled with innocent joy. He couldn't suppress his grin.

They chatted away as they ate. While Remus was still a bit quieter in his humor, his new friends still managed to find him delightful. _Yes_ , he thought to himself, _Gryffindor was the right choice for him._

—

"Ahem—just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start of term notices to give you." He didn't wait for them to quiet down before continuing.

"First years should note that the forest in the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well." His eyes went towards the Slytherin table."I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Detention and points will be taken from anyone involved."

"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch. First years are, unfortunately, not allowed." Remus saw James pout from besides him, he almost laughed at his friend.

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!"

Everyone finished the song at different times, but it was highly amusing—Sirius sounded like a banshee, "like mum," he said.

—

Two Prefects led them out of the Great Hall and up the marble staircase, Remus noticed a mousy haired boy up ahead, he was rather small. He looked lonely was what attracted Remus's attention, that could have been him. He made a quick decision, "He should be our friend," Remus declared to James and Sirius, motioning to where the boy stood.

"Why? No offense, mate, but he looks like a bit of a chump." Sirius remarked.

"I have to agree with Sirius on this, Remus." James responded awkwardly before messing up his hair.

"You said that you are my friends, right?" They nodded confused. "Well, I'm not the type of person lads like you typically hang out with, am I?" Before they could protest he added, "He's the same, lads. Plus, you guys told me you wanted to have fun at Hogwarts, to explore and be rebellious. If we have him with us, would a teacher like Professor McGonagall really think you were up to no good?"

"Up to no good? Us?" James said in faux surprise. "Never," he grinned.

"You two have mischief written all over your face." Remus countered, "Peter—I think that's his name—doesn't. We'll be the perfect mates." He stopped for a moment to plead with his eyes. "What do you say?"

"Sirius, Remy here has a point."

"Remy?" Sirius questioned. "Do I get a nickname too?" He said in fake anguish.

"Yes, it's git." James grinned at them. "Now let's go make a friend. "Oi! Peter, over here!" James whispered loudly. He noticed a few of the girls turn to giggle. Peter, on the other hand, looked confused.

"Me?" He squeaked out.

James nodded, "We—Git," (Sirius hit him on the shoulder for that), "Remus, and I would like to extend our offer of comradery to you if you wish to accept."

"Umm…what?" He looked lost.

"What the idiot here—that's your new nickname by the way, James—" James pouted in what would be a good imitation if not for his eyes. "means is, would you like to be our friend?"

"Are you serious?" Peter asked in shock.

The side of Sirius's mouth twitched. "Why yes I am," he laughed, "Sirius Black at your service." Sirius said extending his hand. Peter took it and though Sirius wouldn't admit it, Remus knew Sirius saw what he did—a lonely boy wanting friends, they all did.

Although he didn't get to study the way they got to Gryffindor Tower, Remus wouldn't change it for a thing. He wasn't sure what floor they were on but knew they were close when they came to a stop at the end of the corridor. In front of them stood a portrait of an overweight woman who wore a pink silk dress.

"This here is The Fat Lady. The password will change once a month, and you will be informed, but try to remember it please. Write it on your hand if you must. I don't want to come outside past curfew because one of you forgot the password which is Whizzing Worms," the dark haired girl said addressing them. The portrait swung open, and they went up the rabbit hole.

Remus took in the common room; it gave off a cozy feeling (odd considering all the red), and he couldn't wait to spend time here with his _friends_. It was a round room full of squashy chairs and a sofa. The Gryffindor girls were directed through one door to their dormitory and the boys another. Upon reaching the top of the staircase, Remus became aware that his room was in a tower ( _he thought it was rather wicked_ ).

"Since there's nine of you," The Prefect began, "there will be two rooms connected to one bathroom—you're free to decide who you want to room with. Each room has five beds, so suit yourself. Curfew for first to fourth year is half-eight, so be in before then or you'll serve a detention or lose points depending on who finds you." With that he departed.

"Are you coming with us or what, Potter?" A brown-eyed boy asked James, indicating himself and two dark haired boys.

"No," James said defiantly, "Why would you assume I would?"

The brown-eyed boy (Adam Mumps, he believed), looked at him as if it were obvious. "So you'd rather befriend a loser, a Black, and someone who looks to be a vampire?"

Remus looked down self-consciously, he noticed Peter do the same. Sirius, on the other hand, looked about to punch the boy.

"Oh how silly of me," James said in faux understanding, "yes, why would I want to be friends with Remy who is a heck of a bloody lad and probably knows more spells than you do, Mumps." James's lips twitched slightly, trying to repress a smile. "Or Peter who is probably far nicer and more loyal than you, loyalty is everything to a true Gryffindor. As for Sirius being a Black, I quite enjoy hanging with rebels. You'd be too much of a softie for me to hang out with." He rolled his eyes, "Coming, lads?" James asked looking back at us. Sirius grinned as he opened one of the doors. Peter looked like he couldn't believe his luck.

Remus smiled as he saw the wooden sign that said "First Years." He was home and for the first time ever, he had real friends.

 **A/N: Okay, if anyone can come up with a Sorting Hat song I can use (the hat comes up with a new one each year, and I don't fancy reusing one), I will be delighted and obviously give credit just PM me.**

 **Anyways, the next three chapters are not in Remus's point of view but in this order: James, Sirius, and one for both Lily and Snape.**

 **The reason for this order is (in case that you're curious) because I tried doing it by connections. Remus is first because I felt like he's the most important Marauder in a way, and the tragedy he bears should be showed first for that reason. James is after him because he, like Remus, is an only child and probably understands Remus's loneliness and need of friendship. James and Sirius are both Pureblood and it makes a good contrast between how they were both educated. And lastly, Lily because of her conflict with Petunia is mainly because of magic, and Sirius's conflict with Regulus is who should have magic, and they both are the result of the sibling going to Hogwarts (although with Sirius's it's a bit more than that). I decided to make Snape's with Lily since they do grow up together (technically) at one point.**

 **The three next chapters will be like this one (from some point in their childhood until their first day at Hogwarts, so some parts of this will be redundant—I did this mostly because I wanted to write Jily's reaction to one another but didn't want gloss over their childhoods).**

 **I will most likely be writing only important moments (or moments to establish their friendships, characters) from first until the beginning or middle of fourth or the beginning of fifth year. I may change my mind but that's the plan as of now.**

 **Do you want me to write a section with Peter's sorting? (I could probably stick it with Lily or Sirius?)**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this, and if anyone who is reading this is a Beta and would like to edit for me, please let me know.**

 **Feedback is appreciated. Next chapter should take me a week or two to write (but hopefully sooner) so until then!**

 **P.S: Sorry if it looks weird with the "** _ **—" but fanfiction is being weird.**_


	2. Hazel Eyes

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from the Harry Potter universe, I also do not own "All You Need is Love," by The Beatles.**

 **Not so quick Author's Note:**

 **This is about thirteen thousand words (four thousand more than the previous chapter), so I apologize. The beginning starts off with James's parents (Fleamont and exEuphemia Potter), so I hope you see where James gets some of his qualities. I don't know how I feel about this chapter, the meeting between James and Sirius especially is iffy in my mind, but whatever.**

 **The asterisks (*) by certain words or dates mean I'll explain it at the bottom so not to spoil certain events.**

 **READ THE A/N AT THE BOTTOM: I WILL BE ASKING SOME QUESTIONS ON CERTAIN ELEMENTS OF THE STORY TO SEE WHETHER I SHOULD DO _ OR HAVE _ HAVE THIS OR THAT. YOU'LL GET WHAT I MEAN WHEN YOU READ IT. I VALUE YOUR OPINIONS SO PLEASE.**

 **EDITED AS OF 04/10/2017 (BEFORE CHAPTER FIVE).**

 **REPLY TO REVIEWS:**

 **Guest #1: Thanks for the review! I will be trying to stick to canon as best as possible, but I'll most likely come off as bias towards some characters at one point or another.**

 **AlanahLouise: Thank you for the review! Glad to hear you like it.**

 **Ivanka: Thank you! Although, I wasn't talking about the quotation marks but the dash that separates scenes (It was supposed to be a horizontal line, but Fanfiction was being weird, so it ended up being the dash). I adore Remus's story and can't wait for the Marauders to find out his secret.**

 **Guest #2: Thank you, I'm glad you like my ideas, and I hope the story meets your exppectations.**

 **Alicia: I like/love other fanfics, but none of the ones I've read have Fleamont and Euphemia as James's parents, and I wanted to read one, so why not write one? I'm glad I'm not the only one who imagines the characters the way I do, I hope I don't disappoint you with this chapter.**

 **wowlovely: I feel bad for Hogwarts Peter. Sirius states in PoA that Peter wasn't a spy until about a year before the Potters' deaths (so around the time Harry was born), seeing Peter portrayed as a spy when he's in Hogwarts and still innocent makes me cringe. I'm glad you liked the chapter and Remus. I'm a bit scared for this chapter because I feel like I did a bad job.**

 **TrueHomiePip: Glad you're looking forward to it. I think that some of the tropes are good in moderation, but I personally cannot stand some of them. James pestering Lily for five, six, seven (depending on the author) years seems a bit farfetched to me, especially since James probably didn't have much time on his hands. Again, it's all in how it's written.**

 **GinevraFangirl: Thanks for the review! I had hoped there was an easier way I missed. I might do that if I have free time.**

 **deathbucks11: Don't worry, I won't give up, I'm still wondering where I'm going with this.**

 **THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED, FAVORITED, AND/OR FOLLOWED!**

—

" **All You Need is Love," The Beatles**

—

 _November 1915, 5th Year (Hogwarts)_

Fleamont Potter aimed another hex at Archibald Nott, "Alopecia!" he yelled as a red light hit Nott on the head. "Fancy being beat, Archie?" Fleamont grinned, an excited twinkle in his blue eyes.

He ducked as the spell that was meant to hit his head missed him and hit the door behind him. "See, Archie, my lad," He began firing spell after spell, hitting Nott with a horn-growing hex. "Be a _deer_ and remember this next time you make fun of my name." He threw a shield up as Nott cast a stinging jinx at him. "Especially when _your_ name is _Archibald_."

"I will make you pay, Potter." Nott screamed, a stunning spelling flew his way. Fleamont was getting a bit tired of this, "Petrificus totalus," he uttered. "Until next time, Archie."

He was about to head to the Gryffindor common room when someone stopped him, "Potter," the Headmaster—Phineas Black—said exasperated.

"Good evening, Professor, lovely day?" He tried playing it off.

"I see you've been duelling again," he looked at him annoyed, "I'll see you in detention again, Potter, eight o'clock at the usual place."

"Lovely, I'll bring dessert,"

—

 _January 1916, 5th Year_

Fleamont watched the hazel-eyed Ravenclaw from the corner of his eye. Euphemia Gambol. Emma to her friends. "Ask her out already, Monty." His mate Ian whispered.

"I will," he whispered back, the same answer he always gave when caught staring at her.

"I hear Nott fancies her." His jaw clenched slightly. "I heard him telling one of the Slytherins that he is asking her out after Potions today—she is a pure-blood after all." He snorted at the last comment.

"Fine, I'll ask her out now." He said getting up, he was determined this time.

He walked over to where Euphemia sat chatting with two other Ravenclaw girls. "Hey, Euphemia, can I have a word?" He said standing behind her.

She gave him a quick look over before consenting. "It's Emma, Fleamont." She uttered before walking to the corner with him. "What did you need?"

He became distracted with her pretty eyes. "I was wondering, _Emma_ , if you would accompany me to Hogsmeade next weekend? If you're free that is." She bit her lips nervously.

"I would be delighted, Fleamont." She said smiling.

"It's Monty, if you will."

"Alright, _Monty_ , I should get back to my friends but tell me the details later?" He nodded as she walked away.

"Guess who has a date with Emma next weekend?" He whispered to Ian.

—

 _May 1916_

"I love you, _Monty,_ " Emma whispered in his ear.

"I love you, Em." He whispered back to her.

—

 _May 1917_

"Emma?" He mumbled against her lips.

"Yes, Monty?" She said quietly pulling away.

"What do you want to do after school?" He whispered.

"Have a family, I suppose. Not right away, but one day. I want to be a healer, but I don't think my parents would allow it."

"How come?"

"You've met them, they don't think a woman should have a place in the workfield if she can just marry a rich pure-blood instead." She sighed, "They think you're a blood-traitor, but they are delighted that you are from an appropriate background. You know I have nothing against Muggles or Muggle-borns, but they do."

"I would never judge you for their way of thinking, Em. I think you'd make an amazing healer if you wanted to. Perhaps just some training if you desire it."

"Thank you, what do you want to do?"

"I want to make something of myself, not just live off the family money. I want to make my dad proud." He glanced at her slightly, "I think I want to make my own potions, I've been working on some."

"That's great, Monty." She gave him a supportive smile, "And your dad will be proud, Henry is a very out-spoken lad, is he not?"

—

 _March 27, 1918 (London, Potter Home)_

"Emma, my dear, how are you?" Henry Potter greeted her.

"Delighted as always to see you, Harry." She replied. "Thank you for inviting me over, it's a nice break from studying—especially with N.E.W.T.s coming up."

"My pleasure, I was glad you could spend Easter with us," he said, "Why don't you go upstairs to the study, my wife will be glad to see you. Katana will take your suitcase upstairs for you."

Fleamont grinned as he saw the small house-elf arrive. "Hello there, Kat."

"Morning, Misses Euphemia, Master Fleamont." He wrinkled his nose at his name.

"Monty, if you must, Kat. My father is lucky I could get a girl to date me with this name." He grinned at his father, "Although, it is good for duelling practise."

"I'll go see your mother now, Monty." Emma said with a brief kiss to the cheek and a quick messing up of his already untidy hair, "Morning to you as well, Katana." She moved past them and up to where she knew his parents' study to be.

"When are you going to do it, son?" His father's chocolate brown eyes look into his.

"I'm proposing after N.E.W.T.s are finished," he whispered.

"I'm glad. Now about the ring…"

—

 _June 1918_

Fleamont waited patiently for Emma to meet him in the Astronomy Tower. "Hello, Miss Head Girl, how are you this fine evening?"

"Are you being cheeky with me, Potter?" She laughed.

"Of course not, I was just worried that the Head Girl was breaking curfew."

"I'm only Head Girl for a few more days, and you don't have a problem when I sneak out to come meet you in Gryffindor Tower. Although, your cloak does come in handy then." Fleamont blushed.

"That's besides the point, my love." She grinned and stepped closer, "What is the point?"

"Close your eyes,"

She tilted her head in confusion, "Why? Are you going to read my future in the stars?" She teased.

"Of course, I am." His eyes were twinkling, "Em, close your eyes."

"Oh, if I must, Monty." She proceeded to shut her eyes.

"You can open them now." Euphemia opened her eyes to witness Fleamont down on one knee, "Emma, my love, we have been together for almost two and a half years, and I love you so very much. I want to start a life with you—share dreams, have dozens of Potter babies, love and cherish you until we die of old age. Just be with you forever, so will you do me the honor of marrying me?" He was nervous, the hand with the ring shaking, but the small "yes" she uttered was worth the nerves.

—

 _July 1920_

"I do," he said almost absentmindedly as he took Emma in.

He watched as Emma repeated what was asked at her until she too said, "I do,"

"You may now kiss the bride. He gave Emma a chaste kiss before pulling away, a silent promise of more for that night.

—

 _March 1921*_

"I'm so sorry for your loss, Harry," Emma said with tearful eyes as she hugged her father-in-law. "She was a wonderful woman."

"Thank you, Emma." Henry Potter said as he hugged her back.

"I'm sorry, dad," Fleamont Potter said as he looked at the casket of his mother. "I wish I could have done something to help her."

"There are worse ways to die, son." He said as tears poured down his face.

—

 _May 1922_

"Do you need help, Monty?" Emma asked sympathetically.

"Only if you wish to, love." He responded sadly. "I'm just going through some of dad's old stuff. I just can't believe he's gone."

"Henry was a great man, I think he cared more for me than my father did."

"He always liked it best when you called him Harry." He said with a laugh, "When is the last time you spoke with your father?"

"When he insulted me for my choice of husband and my marriage into a family of blood-traitors, so when he called using the Floo Network a few months ago." She said bitterly, "He thinks that Grindelwald is right to want to reveal us, and that I am wrong for not standing by my family who think Muggles are inferior to us."

"If we have children, we'll educate them right. They'll know that being a Muggle, Muggle-born, or half-blood does not make you inferior to a pure-blood. Dad knew that, and we know that."

—

 _November 1922 (Potter House, Wales)*_

"Lev," Fleamont said summoning one of the house-elves. "Can you bring me a few Copper cauldrons please? Have a few of the others help you." He smiled at him.

"Yes, Master Potter," the house-elf said before disapparating.

"How is the new potion coming along, love," Emma asked him as she entered the room.

"I'm almost done, I just need to adjust a few more issues." He said as he added different ingredients to different cauldrons. "I'm putting different ingredients into the same kind of potion to try to fix it."

"Have you decided on a name for when it is finished?"

"Not yet," he said letting the potions stew.

"How does _Fleamont's Hair Solution_ sound?" She teased him, he wrinkled his nose, " _Monty's Hair Solution_?" She suggested.

"No," he said pensively. "I don't want it to contain my name in it, it would seem as if I thought too much of myself."

"And you don't?" She raised her eyebrows suggestively.

He laughed, "Of course I do, but the world doesn't need to know that, love."

—

 _December 1923_

"Honey!" Fleamont screamed running down the stairs. "I did it!"

"Did what, honey," she said as she put the biscuits in the oven. She had yet to face him.

"Turn around, love," Euphemia Potter turned around to face her husband. She stared at him for a moment before a grin spread on her face, "Your hair is flat."

"My hair is flat," he repeated and hugged her. "The first successful batch of _Sleekeazy's Hair Potion_."

" _Sleekeazy's Hair Potion_? So you finally settled on a name then?"

"Two drops and you get sleek hair, the name just sounded right."

—

 _May 1924_

"Ian helped me go by some shops today, persuaded them to buy my potion." Fleamont Potter told his wife in bed that night, "I think I'm finally making progress marketing them. Sent some letters to America as well, should be hearing back any day."

"That's great, Monty." said Emma as she snuggled closer to him, "how about we celebrate," she said suggestively and giggled as Fleamont proceeded to ravish her with kisses.

—-

 _March 1926*_

"Things are bad aren't they?" Emma asked him in bed one night.

"Yes," he said without a doubt, "more deaths and disappearances."

"Is it bad that I still want a child even with this war?"

"No, love," he mumbled pulling her closer to him. "I want one as well."

—

 _November 1936_

"Honey, there's an owl downstairs for you." Euphemia Potter said to her husband as she entered his study.

"I wasn't expecting any mail today," he shrugged before following her downstairs. "I wonder who it's from."

On the kitchen table sat a large tawny owl with a rather small envelope. Fleamont petted the owl gently before taking the envelope from it.

Inside was a cut-out from the Sunday Prophet. _THE SACRED TWENTY-EIGHT._ Fleamont read the article proceeding it and laughed as he read the note attached to it: _As it would seem, you are not as pure-blooded as other believes, blood-traitor. -Archibald Nott_

"What is it?"

"Apparently, we didn't make the list of pure-bloods with no Muggle blood through our veins." He laughed again, "Our old pal Archie just wanted to remind me of that."

—

 _February 1940_

Fleamont Potter lived a nice life. He had a beautiful home with a beautiful and caring wife; he had all the money he could ever want thanks to the money he inherited and his hair potions yet something was still missing.

"Why haven't I been able to get pregnant?" Euphemia Potter said with tears in her eyes. "It shouldn't be this hard. "Ian's wife was able to have kids without this much trouble."

Fleamont held her lovingly, "We can't lose hope yet, love. We'll have a Potter baby soon, but we should go see a healer soon to help us conceive."

—

 _June 1943_

"A student at Hogwarts died a few days ago, Myrtle Elizabeth Warren. She was a Ravenclaw." Fleamont said throwing the paper onto the table. "They blamed it on a beast,"

"Do you think Grindelwald was involved?" asked Emma.

"No, he wants the wizarding community to be free—or that what he says, we both know his free would be enslaving Muggles—yet he's never really taken a stand against Muggle-borns. They're still witches and wizards to him."

—

 _September 2, 1945_

Fleamont Potter paced as he read the _Sunday Prophet._

 _DUMBLEDORE DEFEATS GRINDELWALD: REIGN OF TERROR OVER._

"The war's over, love." He said as he saw his wife enter the kitchen.

"Then why are you pacing?" She asked as she watched him.

"It's, the war is over, we have all this money and house, but we have no one else to share it with." He ran a hand through his hair, "sometimes it just seems hard not to lose hope."

—

 _September_ _1951_

"The healer says that it's harder to conceive the older I get, not that that wasn't obvious beforehand." She whimpered, "But I want to be a mum. And we can't even adopt a Muggle child because of the Statute of Secrecy, the child would be a reliability to our way of life."

"Maybe one day," he said uncertainly.

—

 _October 1954_

"Another birth announcement," Euphemia sighed, her eyes already watery. "Maybe we weren't meant to be parents." She sounded hopeless. "Most of the people we went to school with have children and grandchildren by now, and we can't even have one child. One, just one."

"I know, love, it isn't fair." He rubbed his neck, "There isn't much we can do except be there for each other."

"You just turned fifty-five and I'm fifty-four, if it was going to happen it would have." She was sobbing, and the only thing he could do was hold her in his arms.

—

 _February 1955_

"I sold the company today, I thought about the retirement we were talking about. Maybe we can go away somewhere nice for a while. Maybe Italy? Or France?" He questioned.

"That sounds nice," He knew she had lost all hope in their situation, and truth be told—so had he. No amount of money could ever fill the empty space where a child should be.

—

 _March 1957_

"I love you, Emma, my love." Fleamont mumbled on her lips. "Forever."

"I love you, too, Monty," She kissed him. "Forever."

There was an elephant in the room, the same elephant in the room that haunted them. But it was a comfort to know that they had each other, that they would always have each other.

—

 _July 1959_

"Monty, dear," Emma called from their bedroom.

"Yes, dear?" Fleamont said as he entered the room. "Are you feeling any better?"

"Not at all, I'm so tired." She said snuggling into the pillows. "And my back hurts, and I was, er, ill again this morning."

"We should have you checked at St. Mungo's, it could be serious." He said as he reached into one of the desks for a Pepperup Potion and another for dreamless sleep. "Drink this, and I'll schedule an appointment for a healer, my love."

—

Healer Johnson walked into the room again after an hour of medical examination, Euphemia Potter lied on the hospital bed as Fleamont sat by her side, reassuring her all would be well. One could tell, with only one look at them that they were very much in love—the fear and the hope evident in their eyes.

"What's wrong with Emma?" Fleamont asked bluntly as he saw the healer.

The healer laughed, "There's nothing wrong, per say," she looked from one to the other. "Congratulations, you're going to have a baby."

The shock was written on both their faces, clear as day. "I beg your pardon?" Fleamont said, not wanting any false hope. "I checked and rechecked the tests. They all came back with the same conclusion—Mrs. Potter here is pregnant." The smiles on the Potters' faces made it seem like they just been told they won a million galleons, and, in a way, they had.

"We're going to be parents." He whispered to her stomach. "I'm going to be a dad." He placed a loving hand, tenderly stroking her abdomen.

"With your age, Euphemia, the process might have complications. There are miscarriages, cases of stillborns, or there could be complications when the child is born. I have some potions specifically made to help women along, but you should cease to use any other potions for the safety of the child."

"No alcoholic beverages—no Butterbeer, no firewhisky, or even a sip of wine. We need to make sure you're not stressing out or putting too much force into doing this. I'll write you a list of things to do and look out for." She said before taking out a quill and taping it with her wand. The quill speed through the parchment.

Fleamont and Euphemia paid little notice to the still scribbling quill. They whispered their love and adoration and the love their child would have. "And we can build him a Quidditch pitch when he's older."

—

 _November 1959_

"MONTY! Come quick," Euphemia's scream echoed through the house. Fleamont Potter tensed as he ran towards their bedroom. "What is it, love, are you in pain? Are you okay?" He sounded panicked until he saw the grin on Emma's face.

"The baby is kicking!" She shrieked happily. "Come here," he walked towards her, grinning. "Feel it," she took his hand and placed it on her stomach.

"I don't feel anything," he whispered.

"Don't pressure him," she whispered back.

" _Him?_ " Fleamont questioned, amused.

"It feels like a him. My darling boy." She had tears in her eyes, "The healer says that we don't have to worry about miscarriages as much in the second trimester. It's not as common." Fleamont placed a kiss on her stomach, lovingly. Suddenly, he felt something move, and he was laughing. "I love you. And _him_."

—

"I told you it was a boy," Emma mumbled in bed as Fleamont talked quietly to the baby. They had gone to see their healer at St. Mungo's earlier that day to determine the sex of the baby. "Our son, Monty."

"Should we start coming up with names?" He asked gently as he continued.

"I suppose," she said faintly. "How about Fleamont Junior."

Fleamont laughed before shaking his head, "No, I think he needs a normal name, unless you want him duelling at Hogwarts every other day."

"How about Joshua?" She asked. "Joshua Potter."

"How about Perseus, Percy for short."

Euphemia shook her head, "No, that's a Black tradition—naming children after stars. I was thinking something more Muggle-like." She paused, "How about Henry?"

"I love the sentiment, my love, but it still feels too soon to even consider it. How about John?"

"John, Jonathan Potter?" She considered it for a moment before shaking her head again, "No, but I like the 'J' theme."

"Joseph, Jacob, Jack, Jimmy, Jay," she stopped him.

"Jimmy-Jay." She smiled. "How about James? Jimmy-Jay sounds like a good nickname for our darling boy." She sounded so excited, he couldn't refuse her.

"James Potter it is."

"My baby James,"

—

 _March 26, 1960_

"Katana! Lev! MONTY!" Euphemia yelled in pain. Fleamont Potter ran towards the room as the elves apparated in. "Get. A. Healer." She whimpered. "James is coming."

Fleamont Potter began throwing out instructions to the two elves until two cracks sounded. "Miki, Rae!" He shouted panicked, summoning two more house-elves both with large blue eyes. He heard his wife whimper some more, "You're going to help me take care of Emma, James is almost here!"

Two more cracks sounded, and Fleamont turned around to find Lev with a handful of towels and water while Katana reappeared with Healer Johnson.

—

At seventeen minutes past three in the morning on the twenty-seventh of March, James Potter was born. He was born with a tuft of black messy hair and blue eyes*.

Euphemia sat hugging her son to her chest carefully as Fleamont stood listening to the healer's instruction for James. Their perfectly healthy boy.

"James," Fleamont said as he stroked his son's hair gently. "Our James," he mumbled as he placed a kiss on Emma's head. James looked up as if questioning the intruder's interaction with his mother. "He's going to adore you, Em. Mummy's little boy."

"Daddy's little potioneer," she smirked as James began to pull on her hair.

—

 _1963_

"Dad!" James yelled as he ran to the room his father made his potions in. "Dadddd!" James was jumping up and down as his father stood in front of his cauldron.

"What is it Jimmy-Jay?" His father turned towards his eccentric son as he put down what was occupying him.

"Can we go watch Quidditch next week? Puddlemere United is playing against the Ballycastle Bats." James said moving his hands around as he did, he had a curious habit of speaking with his hands that amused Fleamont beyond belief. "And you know Puddlemere is going to win!"

He began jumping up and down until Fleamont picked him up in his arms. "Hmm...I'll have to think about it, Jimmy," he teased his son as he carried him out the room. "Did you ask mum?"

"Mam said to ask you, but she also said it sounded lovely." James pouted out his lips slightly and batted his hazel eyes, and Fleamont knew he was a goner. "Please, papa?"

Fleamont laughed, "Of course, son."

—

"Mam, can you read me _The Wizard and the Hopping Pot_ again?" James asked as she tucked him into bed. She nodded her head as she grabbed the book from James's bookshelf. James loved his mother's voice, it always made him feel better when he was having nightmares or when he fell down the stairs after trying to jump off his broom. He loved _The Wizard and the Hopping Pot_ the best when she read it to him, she said that it was her favourite too because the man learns not to be selfish and that we need to help people. James snuggled into his mum's side until he fell asleep to her voice.

—

"Jimmy, be careful," Fleamont said as James played in the lake.

"I am," he said as he jumped in, laughing. When he didn't come up after about twenty seconds, Fleamont began to panic. He grabbed his wand and jumped in after him only to see a pale-green water demon with long fingers pulling on his son's leg. Fleamont shot a spell at it, burning the Grindylow in the process. Fleamont grabbed James and swam back to their place from before. In the midst of his panic, Fleamont had failed to notice that James had managed to produce the bubble-head charm around himself.

James began to cry as Fleamont snapped a picture of him using the camera Euphemia insisted he take outside incase James did something adorable. "I'm sorry, Jamie, but mummy will want to see this." He reversed James's charm before picking him up along with his camera and wand. His son nuzzling into his neck had easily become his favourite thing in the world.

—

 _1965_

James pouted as he attempted to reach his broom from the spot his mother had put it in the bedroom she shared with his father. He thought it would be rather funny to see his mum's hair turn to worms using one of the spells he learned in dad's copy of _A_ _Prankster's Spellbook: What Every Jokester Should Know._ Besides, if she hadn't wanted her hair to turn into worms, she really should not have left her wand on the table unattended.

He tried getting one of the house-elves to help him, but mum was mean and told them not to help him. He tried persuading his father to get it for him, but his mum caught him him doing that and told his dad to get rid of the gnomes instead. He was upset, all he wanted to do was play on his broom with his dad but no! He wasn't tall enough to reach the spot, he doubted he could have got it from the glass case it was in anyways. Suddenly, he felt something shake and felt himself fall to the ground. He managed to sit up by the time his mum came into the room.

"Jamie!" He looked up at his mum, pouting—he knew they could rarely resist it when he did that. He was lying in glass as if it were sand. "What happened in here?" She vanished the glass before picking him up.

"The glass broke," he said casually.

"And why were you in here?" She started examining him for stray pieces of glass.

"I wanted my broom, I got bored. You sent dad away, and I was lonely." He began playing with a strand of his hair, it was getting rather long again. His mum gave him a sad look, "Can I please have my broom back, I promise not to turn your hair into worms again."

"Okay."

—

"Mummy," James said as he walked into the kitchen, "Oh, hullo, Lev!" He said to the house-elf who greeted him as _Master James_. "We need to have a conference. Where's dad?" The young boy's confidence made his mother laugh.

"Jamie, my love, why must we have a conference?"

"You'll find out at the conference." He said with air of finality as he went out to search for his dad.

At half-ten, Fleamont and Euphemia Potter were sitting in front of the desk their son declared was his for the conference. "Jimmy, what's going on?"

"I have decided after further thought that we need a pet." He was looking between his parents happily.

"We have two pet owls," his mum said questioningly.

"Yes, but I can't play with them. I was going through one of dad's books on creatures and have decided upon two animals that we should consider getting."

"Which are?" His father asked amused, a grin forming on his lips.

"A kneazle or a crup," he stated excitedly. "The crup has this cool tail and the kneazle would tell me who not to trust." His pupils widened as he continued, "An animal would make me happier, a happier James is a happier home."

His parents laughed, "Jamie, Kneazles are a bit aggressive."

"So, I get a crup?" He smiled hopefully.

Euphemia and Fleamont shared a look, "Love, crups aren't the nicest of animals towards Muggles, they tend to attack them."

"We could just tell it not to attack Muggles."

"Jimmy, do you always do what we tell you to?" His father said with a pointed look.

"Fair point," he pouted.

"Come here, son," James walked towards his father who sat him on his lap. "How about we go into Muggle London tomorrow, I have to pick up some more ingredients for some potions I'm working on in Diagon Alley. We'll go into the Magical Menagerie, see if you like some tamer pets, and then we'll go into Muggle London and spend the day there." James grinned and snuggled closer to his parents.

—

They left Diagon Alley with several bags of potions for Fleamont and five puffskeins—he insisted they were for James, but, in reality, he thought they were cute and could use their hair for his potions.

They visited Hyde Park in central London. James watched as a dog ran in circles around a tree. He sat watching the puppy, his parents chatting happily beside him. He watched as a Muggle girl played with who he assumed to be her brother. Suddenly, a thought struck him, "Mummy, can I have a brother?" His parents stopped their conversation, a look of pain on their faces. James tilted his head in confusion, he didn't think he was being unreasonable.

"Jamie, my love," his mother began sadly, "You know we love you, right?"

"Of course, mum." She hugged him to her. "Jamie, you were our little miracle. Your father and I had difficulties having a child for a long time, and then when we lost all hope, we found out I was expecting you." She had tears in her eyes. "I'm so sorry."

James took it in for a moment, he could never have a brother or sister. He smiled at his parents, "That just means I never have to share you," his mum tried wiping the tears out of his eyes without being noticed. James kissed his mum's cheek and wrapped his arms around her, "I love you, mum," he grinned at his father, "and you, dad."

His father ruffled his hair, "We're glad, we'd hate to have to send you to the attic once we got home," James giggled as he let go of his mother.

His stomach growled, "Didn't you eat what I made you this morning, James Potter?" He shook his head, his mother tried giving him a serious look but ended up just shaking her head. "How about we apparate back to The Leaky Cauldron for lunch."

—

"Can I have Butterbeer?" He asked his father, Fleamont Potter looked toward his wife.

"One Butterbeer can't hurt, can it?" He asked her, trying to imitate James's pout. James and Euphemia laughed, "That's not how you pout, dad, it has to be cute." James pouted for emphasise.

Euphemia caved in, "Alright, one Butterbeer,"

His parents held hands under the table, James watched them smiling. Sure, he couldn't have a brother or sister, but he had the most loving parents ever.

His father got up suddenly and made for the entrance, James eyed his mother and ran after his father.

"What do you think you're doing, Nott?" His father yelled at a man who appeared to be his father's age. The man had brown hair with piercing blue eyes. James had never seen his father look so angry before, it scared him a little. He hadn't noticed the person who was crouched before the man, obviously petrified. He obviously wasn't a Muggle, he was wearing robes.

"Why, Fleamont, how rude of you to interrupt me while I teach this filthy _Mudblood_ a lesson." The man's grin made James feel cold.

"And what would that lesson be, _Cantankerus_? I already taught your dear brother _Archie_ a lesson, do I need to teach you one as well?"

"The _Mudblood_ should know his place in _our_ society!" Nott yelled. "He shouldn't even dare to look at the daughters of men with superior blood to him." His wand was aimed at the man when he caught sight of James. "Would you allow your son to marry the daughter of filth like him?" He gave the man a dark look.

"I would be more than happy if my son married a _Muggle-born._ He could marry a Muggle-born, Muggle, half-blood, pure-blood. Whoever makes him happy." James looked up at his father and towards the other two men confused, why would it matter who he married?

"Leave now, Nott. I'm not particularly looking for a fight today, but I will if you force my hand." His father's wand pointed at Nott.

"Then force you, I will. I came here to make the _Mudblood_ pay, so pay he shall, and you won't stop me."

Fleamont Potter threw the first spell, James had never seen his father—or anyone—duel, but he could tell that he was brilliant at it. The Muggle-born and him both stood still, afraid to draw attention to themselves. James turned slightly and saw his mother coming towards him quickly. Her wand was out, "Love, don't run off like that again! You frightened me." She pestered his face with butterfly kisses—all the while James tried escaping her grasp, wanting to see how his dad was doing.

"Mum," he whispered, he could tell his mum wanted to help his dad but was scared to hit her husband. "That man is petrified." He tilted his head towards the wizard on the ground. His mother looked over and saw the man, she flashed her wand in his direction, the red light that was emitted notifying his dad and Nott to their presence. Nott was thrown off by the addition of Euphemia Potter, giving Fleamont the chance to petrify him and the Muggle-born to run off with a thankful nod in their direction.

"Dad?" James said quietly, causing Fleamont to jump. "What's a Mudblood?"

His mother and father wore surprised expressions. "It's what the man called the other. What does it mean?"

His father ran his hand through his hair* in an exasperated manner as they walked back into The Leaky Cauldron. "It's not a nice word, Jimmy-Jay. You know how we told you to never treat someone terrible because they have less money than us or because they aren't pure-blood?" James nodded. "Well, that man doesn't think the same way we do—there are certain wizards you'll meet, son, that'll think anyone who isn't pure-blood or who doesn't have an enormous amount of galleons to be beneath them, but that isn't true. What matters about a person is their actions—are they brave, loyal, intelligent, hard workers, or do they decide to be manipulative berks with a hatred of anyone slightly Muggle."

James looked pensive, "You still haven't said what the word means."

"Jamie, my love, it's an unflattering word for a Muggle-born. You'll mostly hear it used by Slytherins—they're the most open with their views." She looked down at her son, "but you mustn't ever use that sort of language nor befriend anyone who thinks it's civil to use that type of vulgar language. Do you understand?" He nodded.

—

 _1967_

James sat in his father's study, reading through more of his father's and grandfather's old books. He ruffled his hair whenever he crossed upon a passage he didn't understand—he read over something called the Dark Arts. It was gruesome, he read about wizards who had turned evil. He asked his dad why he kept the books around, he replied that they need to know their opponents and learn from people's mistakes.

James lied on his stomach and readjusted his new glasses. Suddenly, James's cat, Godric, and bounced into the room carrying Quaffle—one of his Puffskeins—in his mouth. "Oi, Godric, I told you not to try eating Quaffle or Snitch again!" His father had bought him Godric for his sixth birthday a year ago, but the car sometimes tended to be more than he was worth. Godric spit out Quaffle and proceeded to use James's back as its personal pillow. "There, there, Quaffle, Godric is sorry." He consoled the poor animal. "Godric, get off me, I need parchment." Godric gave James a dirty look before storming off. "Cats," he muttered.

He grabbed a piece of parchment from his dad's desk and proceeded to doodle around, reading tended to tire him out a bit. His parents didn't really keep many books for children around. Maybe he could persuade them to buy him a few Muggle books.

He doodled on his sheets of parchment until his father came to collect him for dinner. "Jay, what are you drawing?"

"A lion, I tried drawing a gryphon, but it didn't come out as well." He handed his father the picture. "I want to be a Gryffindor—like you."

"Really," his dad was astounded, sure Fleamont wanted his son to be in his old house, but they never discussed it. "Why?"

"Because you're brave, you stand up for Muggles and Muggle-borns—just like Grandfather Harry did, I was reading through some of his journals as well. You like Muggles, and Slytherins seem like gits." He nodded as if that settled it.

Fleamont waited for his son to continue, but when he didn't he prompted him, "Why not Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw—your mum was a Ravenclaw, you know."

"I know, but Ravenclaws seem like swots, and Hufflepuffs seem a bit too calm for my taste. Gryffindors take action." He imitated take out a sword, "Where dwell the brave at heart, yeah?"

Fleamont laughed, "I'm glad, now let's go for dinner. Mum said you're helping her make the biscuits."

—

 _1968_

"Why were people leaving their jobs?" He asked his dad.

"Because they didn't like that the Minister was Muggle-born."

"So?"

"Exactly," he said. "I've told you this before, Jay, not everyone thinks like us—some think Muggle-borns don't deserve a place in our community, but that's a load of rubbish."

—-

"What's a Squib?"

"A non-magical person born into a family of wizards." replied his mother.

"Why are they having marches,"

"Because they don't feel like part of the community,"

"Are they?"

"Yes, but many wizards don't treat them as such,"

"Oh...why are people having riots?"

"To silence them,"

"Oh…"

—

 _1969_

He had a nightmare, it wasn't unusual for him to have them recently. He's been having them since reading _The Warlock's Hairy Heart_ against his mother's wishes, that amongst the mentions of Dark Arts that popped up in more of the advanced books he read. He didn't think the story would be so unnatural. He climbed the stairs up and turned the hall that led to his parents' room. He cracked the door open slightly, but he didn't dare disturb them once he saw what they were doing.

James watched as his parents interacted together, he knew they sometimes didn't agree. He'd sometimes heard one of his parents apologize to the other for being grumpy or doing something they shouldn't have, but they never shouted. He looked at his parents as they lied on their bed together, whispering lovingly—no actual touching was occurring, but with love like theirs, none was required—and hoped to find something like that one day. He loved the way his father called his mum "my love," the way they looked at each other (and him) as if they saw their whole worlds. His parents tried not kissing in front of him, but James didn't mind—it only reassured him of their love for one another. It wasn't the fact that they kissed that proved it, but the way they kissed. You just had to look at them to know they were in love, even if the kiss was just on the cheek. Looking at them at this moment, he vowed never to settle for something less than love, no faux promises of love and devotion. When he found "the one," as his dad so often referred to his mum as, he would do it right—the whole deal. He'd only give his whole self to one person—the way his parents had. Although, he really needed to clarify with his parents what his "whole self" meant, but they said that was a talk for when he was older.

He turned around from the room and fled back to his own, where Godric sat on his pillow.

—

 _1970_

James knew _things_ were getting bad—whatever _things_ referred to, however, he did not know. He focused on other things at the moment, like how idiotic his hair looked at the moment because his parents decided to " _tame_ it," or as James called it "make him look like a tosser." He didn't want to have a get together at the Potter house, but he was outnumbered. His parents promised there would be kids his age around—an event that rarely happened seeing as they lived in the countryside of Monmouthshire, Wales.* He just wished that when they said kids his age, they didn't mean Kylie and Scarlett Harris. James got on perfectly well with the male Harrises—his late _Uncle_ Ian's grandsons—but girls were just too complicated to deal with.

Kylie tended to act like a know-it-all swot who deemed James's boyish charm as immature—he was ten for another three months, what did she expect? Due to this, James considered Kylie to be too stuck up to be friends with. Scarlett was the complete opposite of Kylie in terms of her feelings towards James. Scarlett had declared her love for James two years ago—when she was seven—and his mother has all but planned the wedding. James didn't like Scarlett and avoided her at all costs, they were too young to be declaring love. Bloody Hell, you'd think they were ancient.

He, of course, was never allowed to voice his opinions on the Harris girl. His mother had many rules when it came to being a gentleman:

-Always hold the door for a lady

-Never show off your wealth

-Never use crude language in front of a woman

-Never say _Mudblood_

-Never imply that blood status matters

-Help a lady with her books

-Ladies should always go first

-Girls get first pick

-A gentleman is polite

-Should never have to rely on a woman or house-elf to do all the cooking

-Is always well-dressed

-Does not imply a woman can't do a man's job

-Does not do the "special cuddle" with any woman he doesn't intend to marry

-Does not imply women are property

-Protects anyone in danger

-Only courts a girl who he intends to date seriously

-Defends those who need defending

There were more rules his mother had told him over the years, but James could hardly remember all of them. Although, he tried to remember the ones based on woman for he knew his mum would murder him if he didn't at least attempt to follow those. For the rest, as he had learned over the years, some rules were meant to follow, and some rules were meant to be broken. The latter was often the case with him. His parents tried to be angry, but couldn't help but laugh at what he managed to do—like accidentally put bubbles in the piano room or mixing potions and accidentally burning his father's eyebrows off. It wasn't his fault he didn't like to sit still for too long—even when he was reading, he had to doodle or play with his hair in order to concentrate properly.

He walked around the party, being eyed by other pure-blood families—the McKinnons, the Prewetts, the Osberts, the MacDougals—who wanted to see what the Potters had produced as their only heir. Some of the families eyed him out of mere curiosity, but others were probably arranging his marriage to one of their daughters as his father had told him. Even if most of the families here weren't opposed to Muggles and Muggle-borns, they still desired to keep their lines "pure." His father was telling him how some families lie about their family trees by disowning those who marry anyone with anything but magical blood.

His father told him of the limited magical history he was aware of. They say the Potter name originated from a wizard called Linfred of Stinchcombe who made potions—like James's dad. His dad said Linfred, according to many potion books, is credited for the bases of health potions that later became Skele-gro and Pepperup Potion, and that's how the Potter family originally became wealthy. James looked Linfred up before to find out more, but he couldn't find anything on Linfred's children. His father says that some of the children likely ended up marrying Muggles, and that they probably have Muggle blood in them.

" _Why aren't there more Potters,"_ he remembered asking.

" _The Potters in general, Jimmy, are probably still very much alive in the female line, but it's hard to keep track of them over the centuries. Some of the Potters might have not married, or perhaps produced Squibs who decided to live in the Muggle world. We're the last Potters to be able to pass on the Potter name—until you and Scarlett get married that is."_ His father liked teasing him over his mother's desire for him to marry the youngest Harris.

James was also related to two Wizengamot members, the Potters, his father said, have always been very supportive of Muggles and it showed the few times they were in politics. Ralston Potter was on the committee for forty years and supported the Statute of Secrecy while others wanted to declare war on the Muggles in order to be free to show their magic—like Gellert Grindelwald. His grandfather, Henry "Harry" Potter, spoke out against the Minister of Magic—Archer Evermonde—during one of the Muggle wars because he forbade their involvement. Fleamont Potter told James about a list that contained the names of the _sacred_ families with no Muggle connections—or so they claimed. His father said he was proud not to be on the bloody list, James felt proud too. His father told him how he ended up with the name "Fleamont," it was his grandmother's—James's great-grandmother's—maiden name that she wished to preserve. His great-grandmother was the youngest of the two Fleamont girls with one male heir—who was killed by a rogue spell. She knew her line died with her, and wanted his grandfather, Henry, to keep her name alive. James wished he could have met his grandfather.

James had heard a lot about Henry Potter, from the messy hair both James and Fleamont inherited to the same knobby knees his father had. One of the best was the Invisibility Cloak his father had shown him when he was seven. It was silvery grey colour, light, and felt better than silk. Fleamont promised James it would one day be his. The possession of the cloak was to be kept a secret and passed down to the oldest in each generation.

James hoped he too could provide a legend worth telling to his kids one day—whether it be for bravery or intelligence.

—

 _September 1971_

James Potter snuck into his father's Potion room early that morning, making sure his parents were still in bed. He looked at the labels in order to grab a few of the ones he thought he might need at Hogwarts, his father rarely kept count of how many he made of each potions, he liked to experiment with different ways to make them. He kept the successful ones and wrote down how he made them in a Muggle journal, he wrote down the unsuccessful ones as well, so he could learn from his mistakes.

He tapped his wand on the desk where he kept the potions in the strange movement he had seen his father do many times before. He grabbed a few of the Confusing Concoctions, Dreamless Sleep Potion, Draught of Peace, Hiccoughing Potion and Solution, Babbling Beverage, and Pepperup Potion. He took a vile that he thought was for giggling—his dad's handwriting wasn't alway the best. He already had some of his father's hair potion tucked away per the request of his mother. He was disappointed his father had only attempted a few vials of Liquid Luck—he would surely notice if even one was missing. He snuck back out, placed the potions with the rest of his things, and climbed into bed to sleep for another hour.

—

"Mum! Dad!" He quickly got dressed into some of the Muggle clothes his father had bought him—the rest was in his trunk, so he could wear them under his robes if he desired—pure-bloods didn't tend to do this, they liked tradition, but his parents wanted to give him a choice. "Hurry up!" He was jumpy today. He finally got to go with Hogwarts and spend the his time with kids his age.

He loved his parents, but it felt different when he was around children. He'd never been around any he could call friends, but all the same.

James adored the house-elves—especially Lev and Katana—but they weren't allowed to play with him without his parents' permission. It wasn't like he would hurt them, contrary to his parents' belief. House-elves were a bit weird though, they refused to take clothes for some reason. Nonetheless, they were nice to hang around with even if they didn't play Quidditch. They taught him how to make biscuits and treacle tart and his bed—his mum insisted that he needs to learn to do things for himself.

He grabbed his trunk, making sure that he wasn't leaving anything important behind—besides his brooms, but he wasn't allowed one at Hogwarts anyways—and dragged it downstairs. His parents were behind him, walking sleepily. "Jimmy, it's only eight. The train doesn't leave for three hours and we're apparating you there."

"Okay, you get dressed, and I'll go eat biscuits."

"Jamie, eat an actual breakfast. You won't be arriving at Hogwarts for another seven or eight hours—I forgot how tiresome the rides were—and then you have to wait for the sorting to be through."

"Can I still have a biscuit, just one? And some for the train?" He pouted, but his eyes showed the mischievous his parents were becoming accustomed to.

"Alright, go get started, we'll be down shortly, Jamie."

—

James chatted with his parents as they ate breakfast.

"And I want to discover the secret passages, like the one dad told me about." He said between bites.

"Fleamont!" His mother shouted, but he could tell she was laughing.

"Just making sure he's on time for class."

"Where exactly is the kitchen?" James asked, smirking.

"Under the Great Hall," his father said earning himself a glare from his mum, "that's all I'm telling you, Jimmy, you have to learn Hogwarts mysteries by yourself if you don't want mum to kill me." James laughed.

"Any tips?"

"Doors aren't always doors, ask politely, everything enjoys a nice tickle, and everything moves." He took a sip of his tea, "Plus, who doesn't like a good charmer?" His mum rolled her eyes at them.

"Love, my name is Fleamont, if I wasn't a good charmer would we be married?" Euphemia let out a giggle, "I suppose not," she allowed.

She observed James for a minute. "Jamie, aren't you going to fix your hair?" She asked.

"Mum," he said carefully, running his hand through his hair, "you love me, right?" She nodded. "Then you want me to have mates, right?" She narrowed her eyes, but, again, nodded. "I won't have friends if my hair looks bloody—" ("Language!") "ridiculous. No offense, dad. Your potion works great."

"James Potter, if I could get a girl to marry me with the name Fleamont, then you can make friends with nice hair."

"You don't use your potion except when we have parties or go to parties." James countered.

"I'm an adult."

"I'm James, pleasure to meet you," he said as he extended his hand.

—

At ten-twenty his parents apparated him to King's Cross and crossed the barrier. His parents stood chatting with random adults that greeted them. James looked around—at the archway with the words _platform nine and three-quarters_ , at the teenagers with badges pinned to their robes, and the Muggles who were looking around with their children. He saw the wizards and witches who couldn't coordinate their clothing quite right and was thankful that his father knew what he was doing when he bought his clothes.

After fifteen minutes of this, his dad levitated James's trunk up to one of the carriages and helped James look for an empty compartment. "Thanks, dad," James said as his father helped him out his trunk where it belonged on the luggage rack.

"I have something to give you," he said after casting an imperturbable charm on the door. He took out a shining, silvery cloak. "Do you remember what this is?" He asked James who looked up at him shocked.

"Your invisibly cloak." He said in a daze. "Wait, you're giving me this cloak?" He said more excited as he started to comprehend.

"Let's call it a loan," Fleamont said with a grin. "The cloak won't be yours completely until I'm gone, but I thought it would make Hogwarts more exciting for you. Your grandfather gave it to me when I started Hogwarts. Use it well," He smiled softly, "Remember what I said before though, you can't brag about this, James, our family has prided itself upon this secret for centuries—or so dad said." James nodded as he saw his father slip it into James's trunk—he was thankful he had put the potions he nicked at the bottom of his trunk.

"Thank you,"

"A few more thing," his father said, "remember what we've taught you, son, blood-status doesn't matter, how much money someone has doesn't matter. It's who they are that does. And be a gentleman, of course." His eyes twinkled like James's tended to do.

"When am I not a gentleman?" He asked innocently.

"Whenever your name is James." He laughed with his dad. "And, here's a bit of money for the trolley or anything you might want to order after you've been sorted. Gryffindor, right?" He handed James a bag of coins.

"Of course, I want to be just like you," he said looking into his father's eyes. One of the few times he's been serious.

"I've got to go, but I'll miss you, James. I'll see you at Christmas." He hugged his dad once more before he saw him leave.

—

James was bored as he sat fidgeting in his seat. He grabbed the bag of money his father had given him and set out to look for the trolley. He found the trolley lady towards the front of the train.

His way was blocked by a blonde girl and a boy with black hair—elegant unlike his own.

"I have to go to the Prefect's compartment for a meeting, be good and remember what your mum told you," the blonde said.

"Yes, Cissy, I don't need a babysitter." The boy said in a bored yet controlled tone.

"Behave," she said before departing.

"Behave," he scoffed, "like she doesn't know me at all."

"Do you usually talk to yourself?" James asked the boy as he walked past him to the trolley examining the sweets.

"Only on Wednesdays, and you are?" He asked, his tone calculated.

"James Potter," he replied picking up a couple of chocolate frogs and pumpkin pasties. "And you?"

"Sirius," James waited for him to continue. He never did so James continued to pile up candy. "Are you going to buy out the whole trolley?" His lips twitched and his eyes twinkled.

"No, I'm trying to supply the animals of the world with food, do you think this is enough?" Sirius laughed.

"You're a bit bonkers, aren't you?"

"No, mum says I'm completely bonkers," he handed the trolley lady a few galleons.

"I'd bargain she's right." He knew right then as Sirius's eyes twinkled with mischief that he had found a match to his brilliance.

"How do you feel about rules, Sirius?" He asked as the trolley lady handed him his change and he stuffed the candy in his pockets and hands—it wasn't as much as Sirius had made it out to be.

"They don't exist," he grinned as James led him to his compartment.

James grinned, "I think we'll get along just fine, mate."

They entered the compartment to find a girl with dark red hair sitting in the compartment. She wasn't facing them and didn't seem to hear them come in. James shrugged and made to sit in the seats closest to the door.

He tossed Sirius a chocolate frog, who accepted it with a nod. They continued to talk and laugh about different topics—from how badly the Chudley Cannons played last season to the magic they'd done.

"Mum was so mad, she took away my broom after that, but she gave it back one I accidentally made the glass case explode over me. She found me just sitting there and felt bad." He finished off.

"I accidentally made my brother get stuck to his chair at dinner* because I wasn't allowed dessert, and he was. They couldn't get him unstuck, so they had to cut his robes open."

James laughed loudly, "Bloody brilliant, I always wanted a brother,"

"Annoying pest, really, but Reg is alright, I suppose. Although, the stunt cost me my broom and dessert for a month."

They stopped talking briefly as the compartment door opened and another boy came in, they ignored him and continued chatting, although pieces of their conversation became hard to ignore.

"So she's my sister!" The redhead said.

"She's only a—" the boy began. _Odd,_ James thought.

"What do you suppose it'll be like, Hogwarts?"

"Bloody brilliant, a perfect place to perfect pranks." He replied to Sirius.

"Must you illiterate?"

"I must," he grinned.

"But we're going! This is it! We're off to Hogwarts!" The other boy said loudly. "You'd better be a Slytherin," this caught James's attention, and took away his focus from Sirius. All he could think about was all he read about the Dark Arts and Slytherin, and what his parents had always told him about their anti-Muggle ways.

"Slytherin?" He said in half-disbelief, half-scoff. "Who wants to be in Slytherin? I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?" He asked Sirius, who had his legs lounging on the whole seat.

Sirius look sad for a moment before making his face neutral, "My whole family have been in Slytherin," he replied.

"Blimey," said James, "and I thought you seemed alright!" Sirius grinned, the mischievous glint returning to his grey eyes.

"Maybe I'll break the tradition. Where are you heading, if you've got the choice?"

James knew his answer since the day he saw his father defending the Muggle-born. He imitated lifting a sword and said, "'Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart!' Like my dad!" The other boy made an unflattering noise of disapproval. "Got a problem with that?" He asked taking in the boy's appearance for the first time. His hair was greasy, and his face looked slightly yellow. His eyes were black and emotionless. James could tell he'd hate this boy. His parents always said that once he made up his mind on something or someone it never changed—they called it his best and worst quality.

"No," the boy said with a sneer, "If you'd rather be brawny than brainy—" that hit a nerve with him. Not only did this boy favour _Slytherin_ , but he questioned James's intelligence.

"Where're you hoping to go, seeing as you're neither?" Sirius interjected.

James roared with laughter as the redhead sat up looking flushed. She was quite pretty—even if her nice green eyes were tinted red, and despite her obvious dislike of Sirius and him. Pity that she was obviously on friendly terms with the greasy git—maybe she had the Confundus Charm placed on her.

"Come on, Severus, let's find another compartment." She said in a tone of self-importance.

"Oooooo…" James and Sirius imitated her tone; James tried tripping _Severus_ as he passed but didn't succeed.

"See ya, Snivellus," Sirius called out after him as the door slammed.

They both burst out laughing again. "Blood brilliant, Snivellus?" James questioned.

"What can I say, I'm a genius."

—

They passed the next few hours talking about their lives—with Sirius's refusal to say who his family way. Where they grew up—James in Wales, Sirius in London. They did argue a bit.

"No way can a kneazle beat a crup!" James argued.

"Have you seen those bloody cats, they're more mental than that redhead." James laughed at that.

They talked a bit about girls they're parents think would be suitable for them.

"If mum thinks she can marry me to Anna Lestrange she is bloody mental." Sirius said as he took a sip of pumpkin juice they purchased off the trolley.

"My mum wants me to marry Scarlett Harris—she's a year younger than us. She claims to be in love with me. She's ten, how would she know what love is?"

"Harris? Is she pure-blood?" Sirius questioned.

"No, she's half-blood," he waved away the question. "My dad says mum's already planning the wedding." Sirius laughed, forgetting his worries.

—

"Oi! Hurry, let's get a boat together!" James said as he adjusted his glasses. They found a boat shortly and proceeded to see who was stronger after Sirius had called James a scrawny lad.

They were distracted by a voice behind them, "May I join you, lads?" The voice asked politely.

"Of course, hop in," he replied. "I'm James Potter," he continued his attempt at shoving Sirius off the boat while chatting. "This goofball is Sirius, but he won't tell me his last name. Says it's a surprise, you know."

"My name is Remus Lupin." The boy said shyly. 

James finally managed to push Sirius in only to be pulled down along with him. They laughed as Remus tried to pull them up. They tried dragging Remus down as well as he attempted to help him, but he was stronger than he looked. He finally managed to pull them up when they arrived. James and Sirius were soaking wet but that wouldn't stop them from grinning at the fun of it. James got his first proper look at Remus as he muttered a quick spell—the wand emitting a hot air, steaming their robes as they began to dry.

James was impressed by this little act of kindness and the boy's actual knowledge of the spell, "Thanks, mate," Sirius simply nodded his approval, focusing more on the gamekeeper. James continued to observe Remus. He was average height, had sandy brown hair with green eyes. He looked like he hadn't slept in days yet seemed quite content. James turned his attention away once the door opened to reveal a black-haired witch in emerald robes. She looked like the type of witch who would behead you before letting you cross the line—this year would definitely be interesting.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said the gameskeeper.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."

They entered the Entrance Hall, the stone walls lit with flaming torches, the ceiling taller than Hagrid, and a beautiful marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors. He couldn't wait to explore every inch of this school and create a bit of mischief.

They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Sirius and him were betting on who could annoy the redhead and Snivellus the most, the girl ignored them while the greasy git glared daggers at them. Voices were heard from a doorway to the right—the older students must have already arrived. Professor McGonagall led them into a small empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, forgetting about personal space as they peered about nervously.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start of term feast will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. While you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory and spend free time in your house common room. The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule breaking," she eyed him and Sirius as they grinned at one another, "will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting." Her eyes lingered for a moment on Remus's pale face before turning to eye Snivellus's greasy hair and his own messy locks. Instead of trying to fix it as his mother would have suggested, he decided to run his fingers through it. 

"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly." Sirius and he ignored her as they occupied their time in perfecting the art of sword fighting with their wands.

"How exactly do they sort us into houses?" The redhead from the train asked.

"Some sort of test, I think. My older brother said it we have to go through trials of deeds, but I think he was lying." Another said nervously, causing him to roll his eyes. Sirius and him stopped their sword fight and looked around at the nervous faces, _are they nutters,_ he wondered.

"That's not how you get sorted," Sirius said sounding half-tired, half-annoyed. "You get sorted by the Sorting Hat."

"The Sorting Hat?" A girl asked skeptically.

"It's a talking hat that the founders left behind so students would be able to be sorted after they were gone." James explained to her, he had read about it in one of his dad's books and questioned him endlessly about what it was like. "Dad said the hat was originally Godric Gryffindor's."

"You expect us to believe that we're sorted by a talking hat? We're not that easy to fool." He was about to respond to Snivellus's friend when McGonagall returned.

"The Sorting Ceremony is about to begin." She looked at him and the girl before continuing, "Now, form a line, and follow me."

He got into line in front of Sirius, behind a blonde-haired girl. They walked out of the chamber, back across the hall and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.

The room was lit by thousands of candles that floated in mid-air over four long tables, where the older students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the Hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting.

Professor McGonagall led them up there, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. Hundreds of faces stared at them, amongst them the misty silver ghosts. James looked around astonished at its beauty, he looked up and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. It was more beautiful than he could have imagined.

He focused his attention back on Professor Mcgonagall as she put a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she placed a pointed wizard's hat "I told you so," he utter to the redhead who stood a few spots in front of him, he saw her blush slightly as she turned around to glare at him. Really, if she didn't glare so much, she would be prettier. The hat begun to sing its song as James shook off his distraction. The Hall burst into applause as the hat finished its moment. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became still again. Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Annalee," was called first to sit on the stool. She was the blonde who had stood in front of James with her hair in pigtails; she became a Hufflepuff.

When "Black, Sirius," was called forward, James stiffened. Sirius avoided looking at him as he walked slowly towards the hat as if he dreaded it. Blacks were always in Slytherins. He remembered one of the McKinnons saying so in passing.

"He didn't say he was a Black," James said sadly.

"Does it matter?" replied Remus softly.

"No," he said determined, "Sirius won't be like them. I won't let him." He had grown too attached to having an actual mate too soon, seven hours would do that to a bloke.

Sirius finally allowed the hat to be put on him after a glare from Professor McGonagall. It didn't take long for the hat to decide, "Gryffindor!"

Sirius seemed shocked as he walked over to the Gryffindor table hesitantly. He wasn't the only one, James was shocked too despite his earlier resolution. The Slytherin table fell silent, there was an anger there mixed with shock. He noticed the blonde girl he had seen on the train with Sirius earlier that day blush as the people surrounding her stared pointedly; she must be a Black, too. The blond boy next to her gave her an annoyed look, as if she inconvenienced him for the hat's decision.

The Gryffindor table looked skeptical but clapped anyways, he noticed that some looked smug about annoying the Slytherins. He watched as Sirius sat down gracefully but with a look of worry as the Slytherins glared at him, but he could see a grin.

"What was that about?" Remus asked him quietly.

"The Black family are always sorted into Slytherin." He replied grinning. "Not only did he become the first Black to be sorted outside Slytherin, but he became the first Gryffindor to be sorted today. Slytherins and Gryffindors tend to hate each other."

He watched as the sorting process continued. He noticed the redhead walk forward on trembling legs and sat down upon the rickety stool. Professor McGonagall dropped the hat onto her head, and barely a second after it had touched the dark red hair, the hat cried, "Gryffindor!"

James heard a groan from Snivellus and grinned. _Lily_ took off the hat, handed it back to the professor, then hurried toward the cheers of the Gryffindors, but as she went she glanced back at the greasy haired git, there was a sad little smile on her face. It upset him for some reason, but he pushed the thought away. James noticed Sirius move up the bench to make room for her, she looked at him once and folded her arms, turning her back on him—so redheads do have tempers.

"Hmm… Lily Evans." He muttered. "She's going to love being in the same house with Sirius and me."

The roll call continued, James passed the time by making comments to Remus—who would marry who and who resembled the giant squid the most (his father said it lived in the lake).

"Good luck," James called once it was Remus's turn. He nodded and sat upon the still, allowing McGonagall to set the hat on his head.

"Gryffindor!" The hat called after a minute, Remus smiled and handed the hat back to Professor McGonagall.

He waited impatiently as the line progressed, he watched as the mousy-haired boy ("Pettigrew, Peter") join the Gryffindor table after five minutes with the hat. James's name was called next and he walked over to the stool as quickly as he could without seeming too eager.

" _You have a thirst for knowledge, a mischievous side. Ravenclaw wouldn't be bad, but no, that won't do—a bit too reckless with a complex*...yes… Better be GRYFFINDOR!"_ James handed the hat back and joined Remus and Sirius at the table. When only a dozen or so students were left, Professor McGonagall called forth the git from the train. 

The hat didn't hesitate in calling out, "Slytherin!" the moment it touched his head. He disgusted James; Slytherins were bad news.

—

"You never said you were a Black, what did you think I'd feed you to the giant squid?" said James.

"In his defence, you did try," Remus said quietly in his attempt to lighten mood. Sirius and him laughed amused with their friend's humour. 

"I apologize for attempting to assassinate you, my good sir," James mock apologized as he handed Sirius his napkin as a favour.

"All is forgiven, my dear gentleman," replied Sirius with the same twinkle in his eyes that James's father said was always in his. It dimmed down a little as Sirius became, well, serious, "I don't want to be like my family, beheading house-elves because they get old, treated like royalty because of my name. I'm bloody amazing, I don't need that name to tell me so." He took a bite of his potatoes.

"I believe you, Sirius Black. You're a bloody Gryffindor." And he believed it too.

James chanced another look at Lily Evans and grinned, he didn't know why, but he knew he'd have plenty of fun with her. His mother would not appreciate the way, he was sure, his eyes were twinkling at the thought. His mother would consider it an ungentlemanlike quality, but teasing her wouldn't do anyone any harm. "What did you lads do to Lily?" Remus asked uncertainly before adding, "I mean, never mind, it's your business not mine."

"Don't be ridiculous, Remus, you're our mate." Sirius said grinning.

Remus blushed slightly before allowing them to dive into the story of the encounter between the redhead, the git, and them. 

"Anyways, why'd you ask?"

"Oh, I met them after you, I suppose. I thought she was glaring at me at first."

"Why would she?" Sirius asked looking at him like he grew a second head. Remus told them his encounter with the duo. The two boys looked at him seriously for a moment before laughing again and leaving James in hero worship of a cat.

—

"Dad's a potioneer, I nicked some of the potions he made just in case." He added in as they talked about their families, "Some of them might be fun to spike the pumpkin juice with if we can find the kitchen."

"I'm up for a bit of exploring," said Sirius, "I'll explore this whole castle."

"Are you in, Remus?" James asked.

"I'm in," replied Remus. "I've always loved a good mystery,"

—

James chatted with Sirius as the two prefect led them up the staircase when Remus's voice shocked him, "He should be our friend," he declared to them, motioning to where the mousy-haired boy (Pettigrew, he believed) stood.

"Why? No offense, mate, but he looks like a bit of a chump." Sirius remarked.

"I have to agree with Sirius on this, Remus." He replied awkwardly before messing up his hair—he wasn't good with awkward situations.

"You said that you are my friends, right?" Both Sirius and him nodded confused. "Well, I'm not the type of person lads like you typically hang out with, am I?" James wanted to protest but Remus added, "He's the same, lads. Plus, you guys told me you wanted to have fun at Hogwarts, to explore and be rebellious. If we have him with us, would a teacher like Professor McGonagall really think you were up to no good?"

"Up to no good? Us?" He said in faux surprise, he liked the sound of that. "Never," he grinned.

"You two have mischief written all over your face." Remus countered, "Peter—I think that's his name—doesn't. We'll be the perfect mates." He stopped for a moment to beg with his green eyes. "What do you say?" 

"Sirius, Remy here has a point." he conceded.

"Remy?" Sirius questioned. "Do I get a nickname, too." He said in fake anguish. 

"Yes, it's git." James grinned at them. "Now let's go make a friend." He did the only thing he knew to get the boy's attention, "Oi! Peter, over here!" James whispered loudly. He noticed a few of the girls turn around as well but ignored them. Peter, on the other hand, looked confused.

"Me?" He squeaked out.

James nodded, "We—Git," (Sirius hit him for that), "Remus, and I—would like to extend our offer of comradery to you if you wish to accept."

"Umm…what?" He looked lost.

"What the idiot here—that's your new nickname by the way, James—" he pouted. "means is, would you like to be our friend?"

"Are you serious?" Peter asked surprised.

The side of Sirius's mouth twitched. "Why, yes I am," he laughed, "Sirius Black at your service." Sirius said extending his hand. Peter took it, and they all felt a sense of belonging in that moment—the knowledge that they've all felt alone and wouldn't need to again.

"This here is The Fat Lady." The dark-haired girl said as she stood in front of a portrait of a fat woman in a pink silk dress. "The password will change once a month, and you will be informed, but try to remember it please. Write it on your hand if you must. I don't want to come outside past curfew because one of you forgot the password which is Whizzing Worms," The portrait swung open they climbed in—ladies first. The Gryffindor girls were directed through one door to their dormitory and the boys another.

"Since there are nine of you," The Prefect began, "there will be two rooms connected to one bathroom—you're free to decide who you want to room with. Each room has five beds, so suit yourself. Curfew for first to fourth year is half-eight, so be in before then or you'll serve a detention or lose points depending on who finds you." With that he departed.

"Are you coming with us or what, Potter?" A brown-eyed boy addressed him, indicating himself and two dark-haired boys.

"No," he said defiantly, "Why would you assume I would?" He never liked when people assumed things about him.

Adam Mumps looked at him as if he were a complete tosser. "So you'd rather befriend a loser, a Black, and someone who looks to be a vampire?" he asked obnoxiously.

He watched as Remus and Peter looked down self-consciously and Sirius looked like he was attempting not to commit murder.

"Oh how silly of me," he said in faux understanding,"yes, why would I want to be friends with Remy who is a heck of a bloody lad and probably knows more spells than you do, Mumps." He repressed a smile as best as he could. "Or Peter who is probably far nicer and more loyal than you, loyalty is everything to a _true_ Gryffindor. As for Sirius being a Black, I quite enjoy hanging with rebels. You'd be too much of a softie for me to hang out with." He rolled his eyes, "Coming, lads?" He asked looking back at his mates. Sirius grinned as he proceeded to open one of the doors, James knew he was finally where he was meant to be—Gryffindor was where he'd meet his match.

He would never let anyone get away with hurting his friends.

—

 **First off, the asterisks.**

 **The one by 1921, implies that Henry Potter left the Wizengamot (canon that he was no longer on it after 1921 according to Pottermore) because of the death of his wife. The dates were changed because she previously died in 1924 in this story, but I changed the timeline a bit.**

 **The one by Wales in November 1922 is to explain that the Potters (the family in general) tended to live West of England and as Wales is West of England, I feel like it would be quite possible. Henry Potter (and Fleamont growing up) most likely lived in London as it was stated on Pottermore that a Potter occasionally made it to London before talking about the Wizengamot. I imagine that Fleamont would want to live somewhere peaceful after that.**

 **1926, Grindelwald was in America, but the war was going on, so I didn't dive too much into detail because of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.**

 **I gave James blue eyes when he was born because babies' eyes tend to change colours after birth.**

 **I had Fleamont run his hand through his hair, but I was trying to show Fleamont's frustration not indicate that he has the same habit as James.**

 **Again, Wales. I didn't have the Potters live in a manor (as I originally intended) because it doesn't seem likely that the manor would just disappear and that no one would have mentioned one to Harry. Nor did I have them live in Godric's Hollow because Lily and James's hid there, it wouldn't make sense for them to hide somewhere where one of the had recent connections. James's house, however, is big (not quite a mansion, but close).**

 **Dinner. What do the British call each meal? I was looking this up but sites contradicted one another. I'm Mexican-American, so literally lost here.**

 **James's complex is the same as Harry's (the hero complex).**

 **JAMES POTTER EXPLANATION:**

 **I tried putting things that will influence James in this chapter. Why he hates Slytherins, Why he wants to be a Gryffindor (in case you're wondering why I made his mum a Ravenclaw is because he said he wanted to be a Gryffindor like his dad, not his parents). I wanted James to see how much his parents love each other to kind of explain why he didn't stop liking Lily Evans (it's canon that he liked her in fifth year, and they dated in seventh year. Let's assume he started liking her in the middle of fifth year at the latest, that would be a good year and a half at least). I wanted to show James's love of knowledge (I always imagined him as being the kind of kid who spent a lot o f time reading because he was an only child with no kids nearby). I wanted to show his troublemaker side and show that he was a spoiled but his parents would stop anything they were doing because James was there. He had nervous habits (something I didn't realize originally is that both me and James have those habits. We have to mess up our hair a lot, doodle, have to have something in our hands. That's probably why I made him fidget a lot because I don't imagine him as being someone who can sit still for long). He's a bit of a nutter, in a good way. He's rude at times, but no way in hell is James Potter the type of person you can walk over or the type of person who will let his friends be walked over (something that will be more prominent in older years). I feel like he's the type of person that makes people think they can do anything. I mentioned his invisibility cloak a few times but didn't have an actual reason to have anyone really use it, so eh. I talked a lot about blood-status because James's parents probably reinforced the lesson to him so hard, and no way would Euphemia not make sure James was a respectable gentleman. I wanted to set this as a contrast to Sirius's chapter (I think his will be shorter but who knows). Gambol (Euphemia's maiden name in this fanfic) is the name of an old Minister of Magic as well as part of the name of a joke shop "Gambol and Japes."**

 **QUESTIONS (will impact future chapters):**

 **Should James and Lily be each other's first kiss (not in first year but later on)? I keep debating this. On one hand, that would be bloody adorable for them to awkwardly kiss or James wanting to piss of Snape or some other explanation.**

 **Should Euphemia be a redhead (more of an orange, not exactly like Lily's) because I read somewhere how the potion Fleamont Potter made wasn't supposed to be used by redheads, and I thought it would be funny if he tried it on his wife.**

 **Should the head students get their own rooms (if I do decide to do this it won't be them sharing a common room but them having their own rooms extending from the girl's and boy's staircases because Percy got their too quick in PoA for him to be sleeping somewhere else).**

 **Sirius Black: commentator or Quidditch Player or just a fan?**

 **Should Snape become a prefect in fifth year?**

 **Constructive criticism is welcomed, I hoped you enjoyed. Sirius's chapter is next (hopefully I'll finish writing it within the week).**

 **If you're wondering my username is based on Sirius's birthday. And my name is Maria (you can call me Marie/Mar/Mars.), I never introduced myself last time.**


	3. The Noble House of Black

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Harry Potter related including the amazing Sirius Black nor do I own "The City" poem by CP Cavafy.**

 **Hey, sorry for the long wait, but the chapter is finally here with about TWELVE THOUSAND WORDS (about two thousand shorter than James's).**

 **TRIGGER WARNING: THIS CHAPTER MENTIONS AND CONTAINS ABUSE. If you are not comfortable reading about abuse and wish to continue the story, I would suggest waiting until chapter five (as chapter four will contain and mention abuse as well). The story may contain occasional mentions of it as well, but as of yet, this chapter and the next are the only ones with so much of it planned.**

 **NOTE TO READERS: THERE WILL BE "MARY SUES" IN THE STORY AS LILY EVANS'S FRIENDS AND CHARACTERS IN GENERAL (ALTHOUGH NOT IN THIS CHAPTER). YOU WILL BE SEEING CAMEOS FROM THOSE WHO JOINED THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX BUT THEY WILL BE OLDER, MOST OF THEM. IF CHARACTERS SHARE A LAST NAME LIKE PARKINSON OR CRABBE, IT DOES NOT MEAN THEY WERE THE PARENTS OF THE KIDS FROM HARRY POTTER BUT ARE LIKELY DISTANT RELATIVES OR AUNTS AND UNCLES.**

 **REPLIES TO REVIEWS:**

 **Maraudeer: Nice pun! In my mind, the kiss isn't romantic whatsoever, so it must certainly would be accidental or James being marauder-ish. I agree with you on the Snape and Lily thing, when asked, "Did Lily ever have feelings back for Snape," JKR replied that, "Yes. She** _ **might**_ **even have grown to love him romantically (she certainly loved him as a friend) if he had not loved Dark Magic so much, and been drawn to such loathsome people and acts." So the feelings she says yes to are probably the platonic feelings as states right after that Lily** _ **MIGHT**_ **have grown to like him as more, something I doubt since I strongly believe that one of the things that attracted Lily to James was that he was funny and not too serious all the time, while Snape seems too serious for someone like Lily to date. Again, I'll speak of his feelings for Lily and might even have Lily suspect his feelings, but Lily will not be reciprocating those feelings. He is one hundred percent friend-zoned in this story.**

 **Allix: Thank you, I'm excited for you to read it.**

 **Erica: Thank you, I mean some of the tropes are okay, but I can't imagine them like that—especially the Peter one, Lily and Remus being too bookwormy, and the unintelligent James and Sirius (especially since in canon we know James and Sirius to be smart by at least McGonagall and Remus, plus, their accomplishments). If I do have them kiss, it won't be James having a crush on Lily, it would be either an accident (a prank gone wrong or something of the like). I agree, he does need to date a few girls before he's ready for Lily and vice-versa. I agree with you on the Lily thing, James seemed fun and adventurous who would want someone that could keep up with him. I'm not saying she would never study but people make her too much like Hermione—I like Hermione's character but James isn't Ron. Interesting idea, I'm still messing with some in my mind.**

 **TrueHomiePiP: Ah, yes "the special cuddle," that was one of my favorites too because I imagine James so innocent as a child, and most parents won't tell kids about where babies come from until they're older, so there's stories of the stork or a fairy, so I thought it would be cute to have James think there's a cuddle. James is quite the mischief manager, so I can imagine if they were each other's first kiss, especially reflecting on it when they start dating. I have an idea that I find kind of cute and funny(and unromantic) in my head for if I do decide to go with it. You make a good point, plus, the marauders (except Remus) would never be out of detention of he was.**

 **AlanahLouise: I've actually never imagined him as a Ladies's Man. I imagine him to date a bit, but I feel like Lily would definitely have used that against him in SWM if he was. If I do have them kiss, however, it won't be romantic—more of a never speak of this again moment. I'm still debating Snape, because he does seem like the type to be overlooked for another person. Plus, he could give the marauders (besides Remus) detentions, so I'm thinking. I don't think I've ever heard them having their own common room (anywhere besides fanfiction), but they'll have their own head's office.**

 **Arlie Ash: thank you, I'm excited for you to read it. And it is about the length of James's. I think if I make them be each other's first kiss it will be unromantic (their feelings), and it'll be at an age where they haven't really started dating but old enough that it's not like "eww they have cooties" or whatever kids thought. I might not go with the common room thing, but I would give them a head's office for sure. I will definitely have Remus's reaction. I might have it similar to these chapter where it repeats the day's actions but from different character's point of view (but they would be shorter). I can't wait to get through these chapters, I am so excited to write about the Lily and Snape drama as well as more Snape and James/Sirius drama. I do feel like the drama started with more Snape and Sirius and turned more into James as Snape noticed James's developing feelings for Lily and James noticed the same, but James hated Snape regardless for him being into the Dark Arts and wanting to be in Slytherin.**

 **aaliuchi: aw, thank you. I debated writing Sirius this way for so many reasons, so I hope you can see why I did and think I'm doing his character justice.**

 **EricaElena: for the Quidditch ones that sounds possible, but my problem is the school ones since SWM makes it seem like they can go without trousers and no one would notice. Shirts are only mentioned twice, I believe, in the series as related to robes. Once by Harry saying he'd wear it under his Quidditch robes and another by Malfoy when giving Ron a detention in OotP. I might do more research.**

 **I hope you enjoy this chapter and review and give me sympathy for Sirius.**

—

 **The City," CP Cavafy** (Poem)**

—

There were many moments of his life that Sirius Black would come to to regret, yet _these_ were the moments that shaped his life. The moments where he would look back as if he were another person, the moments before and when he met James Potter—the arrogant toerag he considered his best friend, his brother. If he ever felt love, it was at the hands of the Potters, the ones who loved him beyond reason.

—

Sirius Black lied on his bed that night, crying. He had had a nightmare of being attacked by a group of banshees and trolls. He had just managed to escape the trolls when he saw they had Regulus. He woke up after that. He got up from his bed and headed down the stairs and for his parents' room. He managed to crack the door open and jumped on his parents' bed. Sirius was only three at the time and had yet to learn the consequences of bothering his parents.

"Mummy," he said as he snuggled deeper into their covers. He shook his mother awake, his father had always been the deep sleeper. His mother turned to him with a look of distaste that the young Sirius mistook for drowsiness.

"What are you doing up from bed, Sirius?" his mother asked.

"I had a nightmare, can I sleep here?" he felt tears well up in his eyes.

His mother sat up, "No, you cannot, Sirius," she pinched her nose in frustration. "Go back to your room and sleep, you are too big to be acting like this. What would others say if we permitted you to behave this way?"

"But I'm scared," he whimpered.

"As a Black you must learn to control those emotions," she sounded irritated. He just wanted his mum to hug him and tell him everything was okay. "Varelse," she called, summoning the old house-elf, "take Sirius to his room and make sure he does not disturb us,"

"Yes, Misses, anything for Misses," the elf took a hold of the young master before apparating him back to his bedroom. "Young Master Sirius shan't disturb his mother, he mustn't be a naughty boy," without another word, she left with a crack—probably to guard his parents' room.

He opened his door once more, being careful not to let the door creak. He walked carefully to Regulus's room and opened his door. He saw his brother sleeping peacefully in his little dragon bed. Sirius seized the extra blanket in Regulus's chest—where he kept his toy wands and model Quidditch set—and placed it on his brother before lying down next to him.

"I'll protect you from the trolls, Reg," with that said, he drifted off to sleep.

—

Sirius hated the family parties, he was paraded around his relatives as his parents proclaimed him to be the heir to the Black name and fortune. His aunts would almost swoon over how handsome he was and his good mannerisms—the ones which were instilled in him with the stinging jinx.

"Go find Wren Parkinson and Atreus Avery, you'll be good friends once you're in Slytherin together. It's good to make good connections early." Orion would pause to look at his son in a stern manner before continuing to speak to other pureblood men—probably setting up marriages for Sirius and Regulus.

His uncle Alphard wasn't too bad, he always gave Sirius a treat when his mother wasn't around knowing he wasn't allowed to have any. Sirius felt like his uncle pitied him, but he couldn't understand why.

"Hello, Uncle Alphard," Sirius politely asked. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, Sirius, and yourself?" he questioned.

"Not too bad, father wants me to make nice with one of the Parkinson boys and an Avery. I can't remember where I left Regulus either," his uncle laughed.

"And your mother?"

"I'm avoiding her, she seems mad."

"Your mother is always mad, Sirius," he fiddled in his robes for something, "here's a Honeydukes' chocolate, I went there today and thought you deserved a treat. Remember, don't tell your mum."

"Thank you, Uncle Alphard." His uncle nodded before strolling away in search of one family member or another.

As he wandered around the party, he was stopped by members of prominent families hoping to talk with the Black Heir. They didn't care much for who he was, all they cared was setting connections like his father was attempting to do. Even his young mind could tell when he was being used. He wanted someone to care about him for him not because he was the heir to a fortune or from a prominent family. The only ones who he felt truly cared for him were Regulus and Andromeda—and maybe his uncle Alphard—to everyone else, he was just the heir to a pureblood family, a means to help keep purity. He didn't understand much of blood politics, but he knew it was important to keep up appearances.

He didn't feel like being used tonight, so he went off in pursuit of Regulus to share his chocolate with him.

—

He heard a crack on their floor, the sound of a house-elf apparating. The noise came from Regulus's room, just as he sat up, Regulus came running into his room. He noticed the tears first.

"What's wrong, Reg?" He closed the door before waltzing over to Sirius's bed. " I couldn't sleep," his brother admitted.

"I went to mum and dad's* room, mum woke up had Kreacher take me to my room."

Sirius moved over to allow his brother to lie down, "Mum doesn't really like to be disturbed, Reg, you're welcome to stay here if you like."

Regulus nodded and began to make himself at home in Sirius's bed, "Thank you, Si,"

"Why couldn't you sleep?" he asked him quietly.

"I had a dream of what dad showed us the other day during our lesson," he elaborated the gruesomeness of their lesson that Sirius would rather forget, but he listened because no one else would.

—

Sirius sat in his room playing Gobstones with Regulus, Regulus had all but begged their mother for the game when they were in Diagon Alley the previous evening knowing that Sirius wanted it.

Sirius was currently winning, only being squirted twice in the face.

"Kreacher," Sirius summoned the house-elf. "Bring us some pumpkin juice and a snack," he didn't bother looking at the elf who tended to regurgitate his mother's insults.

"The young master is a disappointment to the Misses, he upsets his mother with his weakness." it* mumbled before disapparating away.

"You should be nicer to Kreacher," Regulus said as he made his move.

"Why, so mum can say that I am a disappointment due to my fair treatment, he's a house-elf, he should be used to it. Father treats him worse and the git still licks the spoon father eats from."

"You just don't understand him, you'd like him if you gave him a chance."

"I'd like him if he didn't insult me,"

"If you didn't give mother a reason, he might not," Sirius sighed, he knew it was no use arguing with Regulus.

—

His parents were fighting again, yelling about how he wasn't a model child. That his aunt Cassiopeia had commented on Sirius's inability to keep an intelligent conversation. It wasn't his fault she considered insulting mudbloods an intelligent conversation, he had never met one.

Regulus was scared, Sirius was used to the racket. He grabbed the stuffed broomstick his uncle had given for his birthday and snuggled into it.

"HE IS A DISGRACE," he heard his mother shout.

"HE JUST TURNED FOUR, WALBURGA. THERE IS STILL TIME TO FIX HIM."

Fix him. He was four, how could he already be a disgrace, how could he be weak.

—

Sirius Black sat across the table from Pollux Black, his grandfather, while his grandmother Irma sat in the living room discussing a mudblood that had offended her with her sisters-in-law, Cassiopeia and Dorea. His grandfather sat discussing the incompetence of the Minister of Magic, Nobby Leach; most of the incompetence they discussed centered around the fact that he was a mudblood. Regulus sat next to him, chatting about the funeral—Sirius could tell he was uneasy, Regulus never dealt well with death. He vaguely remembered a crying Regulus at their aunt's funeral* a few years ago, his mother ordered Varelse, the oldest of their house-elves, to accompany Regulus and Sirius home and reprehended Sirius for not dealing well with Regulus.

Sirius almost couldn't believe it was a funeral with the way people were behaving. The only one who seemed even slightly affected besides his brother was his great aunt Dorea, it was her son and husband that died after all*. Uncle Alphard told him that there was a bit of trouble in Northern London that day and when they arrived they found their bodies surrounded with that of other muggles, the muggle Aurors* didn't know who to blame considering some of their victims didn't seem to have anything wrong with them—if you didn't count the fact that they're dead. He wondered why no one in the Potter family bothered to come, he knew from his great aunt Cassiopeia's gossiping that the Potter line* was still alive, he wondered if they cared or if they even knew.

He liked his brother but, at the moment, Regulus was annoying him. He kept swinging his legs and accidentally kicking him. Regulus knew their parents hated it when they swing their legs about, especially when guest were over, "A Black," they would say, "has to have perfect posture," amongst a list of other things a Black _must_ do.

"SIRIUS," his mother screamed.

He felt the blood drain from his face, "Yes, mum?" He asked nervously.

"Your father will deal with you later," she said and turned back to his grandfather. Regulus offered him a half-sympathetic, half-apologetic smile that Sirius decided to ignore. He didn't understand why his parents didn't seem to care about him, weren't parents supposed to be loving? His mother seemed to care for Regulus, but when it came to Sirius himself, it was as if she didn't care whether he was there or not. He was only four, but even he realized that the way his parents acted wasn't the way they were supposed to, his father acted as if he were another piece of work to be done. Maybe he was too young to understand the mind of an adult.

—

Sirius's father, Orion Black, was a terrifying man when he meant business. He didn't think he'd ever seen his father genuinely smile or laugh—unless it was at the expense of others. When his father got home that night, Sirius was terrified.

Orion Black wasn't an extremely buff man; he was of average height and weight and had a decent amount of muscles to which he had no real use for. He was a lean man with the traditional Black hair and a slight tan to his otherwise pale skin. Sirius gulped as his father led him to the drawing room. His father never hurt him, not physically anyways, but his father's punishments were almost as bad—they ranged from no dessert to cleaning until he drew blood. He wasn't born for cleaning, he wasn't a house-elf.*

"Sirius," his father began annoyed, "do you know how much your mother and I put into raising your brother and you into respectable purebloods?" Sirius tilted his head, confused. As far as he was concerned the house-elves spent more time with Regulus and him than his parents did.

"This"—Orion motioned to the tapestry—"is the history of the Blacks," he took a deep breath, "You have to learn to behave like the heir you are," he took him by the shoulder, closer to the tapestry. "You have to set an example for Regulus."

"Why," he dared ask.

"You know better than to question me, but I'll humor you just this once." He looked at Sirius seriously, "You'll be the epitome of the Black name one day. You'll marry a respectable pureblood—Anna Lestrange is your age and one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, she'll make a fine wife. You'll have to educate your sons or daughters how to treat the likes of filthy muggles, mudbloods, half-breeds, and blood-traitors alike. They're abominations, not worthy of our precious time; we are of noble blood—the Noble House of Black—and must be treated as such."

"Why are there scorch marks?" He indicated towards the small, round charred holes.

" _Toujours pur_ , the scorch marks are for those unworthy of the Black name, those who have brought shame upon our family." His father looked down at him, "You will not be punished this time, Sirius, but it would be wise to improve your attitude." With that Sirius said a goodbye to his father and hurried away to his room until dinner time.

—

He was five when he began to wonder whether his family was right or not, he still followed his parents' rules—for the most part—and tried to behave like a good pureblood, but in the back of his mind, he knew something was wrong.

Regulus and Sirius were in Regulus's room when their mother yelled out for them to come to the drawing room.

"What do you think they want?" Regulus asked him as they began descending the stairs.

"I don't know, Reg. Maybe they decided to be loving parents for a change,"

"Don't say that, Sirius, they love us," Sirius made a sound that told Regulus he was bonkers if he thought that.

"How would you know? They don't make an effort to get to know us unless they believe we're displeasing them and scorning the Black name." He sighed, "they like you better."

"No they don't," Sirius rolled his eyes as they arrived on the first floor and headed for the drawing room. He knocked on the door where they were quickly ushered in by their mother.

"Stand up straight, boys," she eyed their robes judgmentally. Their father watched them carefully with Varelse, their ancient house-elf, by his side.

"You are about to witness a Black family tradition," he said as he pulled out his wand. "This tradition has been around since your aunt Elladora's* time." His voice shone with pride, "Varelse, come here," the elf wobbled her way over to his father, barely able to move as it is with her trembling body. "You'll have to teach your child this one day, if Kreacher ever gets too old," he laughed.

Orion Black grabbed Varelse by the neck and pointed his wand at her neck. The spell must have been non-verbal because the next thing they saw was Varelse's head falling to the floor. He felt his brother stiffen next to, he turned his head and saw his brother wiping away tears as his father focused on cleaning the blood from the floor. His mother was looking at his father as if he were doing the most fascinating task in the world.

Sirius took a hold of Regulus's wrist and added a soft pressure to it with a silent warning to behave in his parents' presence. They spent the next few hours in the room with their parents, watching as his father stuffed and used spells on the head, preserving it to be put on a plaque.

Regulus took a seat by the fireplace, yet he could tell he felt no warmer than he was before. He was shaking, the delicate prince.

"You are dismissed," his father said after they had finished, "we'll hang up the plaque after dinner tonight,"

—

They had gone back to Regulus's room where his brother was finally at peace to cry. Sirius timidly wrapped an arm around his brother as the latter continued to cry on his robes.

Regulus messed up his brother's hair, the way he knew annoyed Sirius. Regulus was scared, he didn't want to kill Kreacher one day, "Are we going to be elf murderers one day, Si?"

"No," he said softly, "Bloody hell, that was mental."

"It was." He was silent for a moment, "You hate Kreacher," He looked at Sirius carefully.

"It's more of a keen dislike fueled from Kreacher being a git." He looked Regulus in the eyes, "Just because I wish he were gone doesn't mean I'd want to be responsible for his death or kill him myself."

"Do you promise?"

"I promise, Reg,"

"And you'll always be here, for me," Regulus's lips trembled slightly.

"Yes, you're still my brother, even if you do annoy me sometimes,"

—

His cousin Narcissa was always a bit of a snob, following her sister Bellatrix around like she knew everything. "Hello, Sirius," Cissy said sitting next to him as she watched Bella dance with yet another pureblood. Her parents bragged about their eldest daughter's beauty, throwing suitors at her one way and another, but every suitor knew she would end up marrying the elder Lestrange boy—his family was the richest of the suitors _and_ was one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight.

"Hello, Cissy, what did I do to have the delight of your company," he asked with a slight sarcastic edge that she missed.

"Bella is dancing with Cato Rosier, he likes Bella. Rodolphus is getting jealous, I say,"

"Isn't Rosier one of your cousins or cousins by marriage or something,"

"Yeah, but he's a pureblood, Si," she said as if that settled it, "Plus, your parents are cousins."

"That's still weird," he mumbled.

"Don't mumble, Sirius, Aunt Walburga hates it when you do it. It makes you seem like you lack manners."

"Mum already thinks that," he said enunciating his words.

"Why aren't you with Regulus," she asked curiously.

"He wanted to hang out with Wren Parkinson and Atreus Avery, they were annoying me, so I came here." He sighed, "I couldn't find Andromeda either."

Cissy rolled her eyes, "You should try making friends with them, they're going to be in your house at Hogwarts."

"I'm not even sorted yet," he was frustrated with being told what he had to do.

"Blacks are always Slytherins, and you're the Black Heir. You'll be in Slytherin, don't worry." She got up suddenly, "I'm going to see if anyone wants to dance with me," with that she left.

—

Sometimes he really hated his parents. He hated that they didn't seem to care. He was a little boy who needed affection, that which he got only from three people. Out of his entire family, only three cared. He wished he could be brave enough to scream at his parents until they showed they had emotions besides indifference and hatred and anger.

He wished his father didn't spend so much time at home, but he had quit his job at the Ministry when Leach was made Minister of Magic. He told Sirius that he would not work for a government that would let filth contaminate it, Sirius was two at the time.

His parents had taken away his dessert for the week because of his behavior at the last house gathering, apparently not talking to boys his age was a crime now. He looked at Regulus's dessert longingly. He knew it wasn't Regulus's fault, but he couldn't help but feel the occasional resentment towards his brother. He was the one his parents cared about—if they were capable of caring. He didn't have the pressure of being the Black Heir.

His bubble of hatred burst at the end of dinner when Regulus stood up. Except he couldn't. Sirius had accidentally done magic and his brother was stuck to his chair. He tried to repress his smirk but his mother saw it and shrieked like a banshee about his misbehavior and disgrace to the Black name. He was getting used to it.

"Follow me," his father said in a deadly quiet voice, leaving his mother to get Regulus sorted.

He took him to the drawing room and whipped out his wand. It was the first time he truly felt pain as his father cursed him with spells that bruised his skin, cut him, nearly suffocated him.*

"I'm done being patient with you, you'll learn to behave like a Black or suffer the consequences for it," he stormed out leaving Sirius bleeding in the room until Regulus came to tend to him with Kreacher.

"You'll be punished, leave me," he mumbled.

"No, you're my brother, Si,"

—

He was in his room reading one of the books his father had given him to read, _The Dark Arts: Spells Every Great Wizard Should Know_. He didn't understand why he couldn't just read _The Tales of Beedle the Bard_ instead. His mum did mention, however, that she didn't want his mind tainted by the tales. She'd rather have his mind corrupted by learning dark spells.

Some of the spells in the book were too gruesome to even imagine using on someone. He read about spells that could suffocate someone, spells that would make you feel like you were burning in hell, spells to torture and kill and control. He felt sick reading some of those spells and was taken back to the day he watched his father kill Varelse because she was too old, thinking back to the first time his father had used them on him.

—

It was a nice day as they strolled through Diagon Alley, living in London, they didn't have far to travel. Although, they did pass a large amount of muggles to his parents' displeasure. He wanted to question his parents' rudeness towards them but knew it would only cause trouble for himself.

His parents wanted to go to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasionsto buy new robes for themselves, Regulus and himself for the gathering at the Black home tomorrow night. He hated those parties, he was forced to partake with the Parkinsons, the Lestranges, the Malfoys and Averys and any other family of pureblood status. The kids in those families were as dull as their parents with the exception of his cousin Andromeda who seemed to be one of the few sane ones in the Black family. All the pureblood children could talk about was whose father bought them the most expensive toy or whose father was more important to wizarding kind, they were replicas of their fathers. Sirius had just turned six almost two months prior and couldn't wait to see his cousin who would be home from Hogwarts for two weeks—she was in her second year.

"Si," called Regulus. Sirius looked questioningly at him. "Why are we having a gathering tomorrow?"

"I don't know, Reg." He whispered, "They most likely wish to complain about mudbloods and half-breeds in peace."

"Why can't they do that outside?"

"So naïve, Regulus," he uttered a bit exasperated. "The government doesn't want to actually show they're hostile to mudbloods, father says it's only a matter of time before they're put in their rightful place, like the statue at the Ministry. I saw it last time I went with him to the Ministry to visit an old connection; the centaur, goblin, and house-elf were adoring the witch and wizard. I wish Kreacher was like that."

"That's a terrible thing to say, Sirius. Kreacher is perfectly nice."

Sirius scoffed, "Bloody hell, he treats me like a bleeding _mudblood_ ," he complained. He heard something drop behind him and heard Madam Malkin call after him. "Yes?" He asked already bored with the conversation.

His father came walking towards them as his mother stood where she had been in the process of being fitted. "Is there a problem?" Orion Black asked in that authoritative voice of his—the one that sent chills down his back.

"Yes," Madam Malkin tried to not be fazed by his father, but Sirius knew better than anyone not to let his father see any emotions when he was trying to get his point across. "Your son seems to have a potty mouth on him, I cannot tolerate this language in my store,"

"What did you say," his father turned to him with piercing grey eyes.

Sirius shifted uneasily, "All I said was that Kreacher treats me like a bleeding _mudblood,_ bleeding isn't that bad of a word," he said as calmly as he could.

"'Bleeding,' wasn't the issue, young man. I do not permit the usage of foul language in my store,"

"Walburga, let's head out to Twilfitt and Tatting's, they don't allow _mudblood_ supporters in there," he eyed Madam Malkin in a disgusted manner before grabbing _Regulus_ and walking off, leaving Sirius to catch up to them as his mother gave Madam Malkin one last dirty look.

"What did I do wrong?" He asked his mother.

She looked irritated—although, it didn't seem to be aimed at him quite yet. "Sirius, sometimes in life you, there will be people who tells you blood does not matter—those people are wrong. Your blood is who you are, you're the heir to the Black name, one day our home will be yours. You'll marry a pureblood, have pure children, and teach them to not consort with the likes of filth and scum."

He nodded and walked along.

—

"Hello, Sirius, Regulus," Andromeda Black said walking up to the Black brothers as they raced on their toy brooms. Sirius stopped suddenly, resulting in Regulus crashing into him.

"Alright?" Sirius asked him, Regulus nodded as he rubbed his knee. "How are you, Andy?"

"Quite bored to be frank," she admitted sitting on the ground.

"Aunt Druella says you're not supposed to do that, Andromeda," Regulus said looking at his cousin, "You'll get your robes all dirty."

Andromeda laughed, "There are a lot of things I'm not supposed to do, Reg, it's never stopped me before," she blushed at that, "Your mum was looking for you, you know," Regulus admitted a small groan before placing his broom next to Sirius's and straightening his robes.

"Goodbye, Si, Andromeda," he sighed.

"Was she actually looking for him?" Sirius asked after he watched his brother go inside.

"No," she laughed. "But I didn't want him to hear what I was going to tell you and go tell my parents."

"What did you do at Hogwarts?" He questioned.

"I kissed a boy, his name is David. He's muggle-born." She was giggling.

"Why'd you kiss him," he wondered. "Mum says all mudbloods are filthy."

Andromeda Rolled her eyes at him, "Sometimes, I think they're wrong," she sounded sad. "I've met children from other pureblood families, they're not all like us. It makes me wonder."

"Why would they say it mattered if it didn't?"

"Because it matters to them," she laughed. "The caretaker threatened to hit me with a cane if I continued to say _mudblood,_ although I think he was mad that Bella insinuated he was of impure blood."

"Father says we won't ever enter Madam Malkin's again," he told her.

"What did you do?" She smirked.

"Oi! I'm offended you would think that I, Sirius Black—the heir of the Noble House of Black—would ever be badly behaved." He dramatically clutched at his heart.

"So it was Regulus," she looked at him in disbelief.

"No, it was me," she threw a leaf at him, "I was telling Reg that Kreacher treats me like a bleeding mudblood, and Madam Malkin heard and was a bit put-off. Father took us to another robes shop that doesn't tolerate mudblood supporters,"

"Sounds very much like uncle." She looked up at the sky. "Let's head to your room, Si, it's a bit wet and looks like it's about to rain again as well."

"Alright," he said picking up the brooms, "Andromeda?"

"Yes?"

"I won't say anything about the mudblood," she smiled at him before adding, "I know."

—

It was a bit of fun, he thought when he had borrowed Andromeda's wand when she had gone to use their loo. He had used a spell his father had taught him—not even one of the dark spell either; he had used _Engorgio_ on his uncle Alphard's nose, while his uncle had thought it was amusing, his parents disagreed.

It was the first of many time his parents would raise their wands at him. His father gripped his wrist after his mother took Andromeda's wand from him. He saw the look his father had on his face, the look of rage.

"Why must you insist on embarrassing us, Sirius?" The boy in question shifted uneasily but ceased doing so once his father's grip tightened on him. "You are a Black," he said it as if it were the most important thing in the world—which to his parents might as well been true.

He looked up at his father, "I wasn't trying to embarrass you," his father glared at him, "I really wasn't, father, I was merely trying to practice the spell you taught Regulus and me the other day."

"I taught you the spell to enhance your ability not so you could embarrass us with your juvenile behavior, Sirius. You have a name to live up to, and I can assure you that no Black became important by playing tricks. I've warned you that there would be consequences—taking away your food and toys doesn't seem to do the trick often enough." He released Sirius and aimed his wand at him—something he had become accustomed to—but before he could cast the spell Uncle Alphard came in.

His father put his wand down, "Hello, Alphard, what do I owe the pleasure?" His father's tone suggested it better be good.

"I simply came to gaze upon our family tapestry , Orion." He saw his nephew's scared face, "Alaraph Lestrange and my dear brother Cygnus were looking for you, if you're done here."

Orion threw a last dark look at his son before leaving the room, "Thank you, Uncle Alphard," Sirius verbalized.

"I have no idea what you mean," his eyes said otherwise.

"Of course not," he laughed in relief.

"I thought it was quite funny," he ruffled Sirius's hair, "It's nice to see a Black with a sense of humor."

"Who are the scorch marked?" He asked curiously, his parents had an aversion to admitting those people existed.

"Curious thing, aren't you, Sirius?" He chuckled, "I'll tell you the ones I know."

"Thank you," his uncle smiled at him.

"Do you see the scorch mark next to Elladora?" Sirius nodded, "That was Iola Black," he laughed, "Married a muggle she did."

"Really?" He asked surprised. His uncle laughed at his reaction, "Yes, Bob Hitchens, I believe." He continued, "On the line below that was Phineus, he supported Muggle Rights." Sirius's eyes widened. "Below that was my uncle Marius, he's a squib—you know what they are, right?" He agreed. "The last one I know is three spaces to the right of Marius was Cousin Cedrella, she married Septimus Weasley—a blood-traitor."

"But was he pureblood?" His uncle nodded, "One of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, but you have to marry the right kind—the ones who care about blood status."

"Why aren't you married?"

"I'll tell you when you're older and more likely to understand," his uncle turned to him, "Try not to upset your parents so much, Sirius. For your benefit."

"I'm sorry, uncle."

—

"LOOK ME IN THE EYES!" His father yelled as Sirius flinched at the touch of the wand on his arm, there were already bruises from the previous spells his father had thrown at him. "You cannot keep showing such weaknesses," he repeated, his voice sounding like a snake's. "Look me in the eyes, Sirius Black," he looked up with fear.

"You are an heir, do you not understand what that means. You cannot afford to be weak, you cannot afford to flinch at the wand of others. Do you understand me?"

"Yes," he said looking his father in the eyes as best as he could.

"Yes what?"

"Yes, sir," he said controlling his voice.

"Go clean up, Sirius, and I expect you to study the book I gave you," he said cleaning the blood from the floor.

"Yes, father," he said before leaving.

He remained in his room for the rest of the day, refusing to see his father.

"Si?" Six-year-old* Regulus's voice echoed in the darkness.

"What did you need, Reg?"

"Are you okay?"

"Physically or emotionally?" He scoffed.

"Both," Regulus sat on the floor, in the wizarding pajamas his parents had bought them—they wouldn't allow them muggle wear if they could help it.

"No, but I will be," he smiled sadly at Regulus.

"I'll stay with you," he said climbing into Sirius's bed.

"Thank you, Reg," he said with all the emotion he dared express.

—

His parents were complaining again about the squibs rioting, they said they didn't deserve to be allowed in the wizarding world with their impure blood, despite the Blacks having a squib in the family themselves—not that they would admit to that.

The Minister of Magic had died two months ago in October,* his parents had rejoiced at the _convenient_ illness that befell them. He was tired of reading the deaths in the _Daily Prophet_ , his father said mudbloods were finally going to get what they deserved, but no one could explain the occasional murders that were increasing of the disappearances.*

—

Ten-year-old Sirius Black strutted through the Black Manor at yet another pureblood party, his cousin Bella was now engaged to Rodolphus Lestrange as they had both finished their education at Hogwarts a month prior.

Her parents and his were so proud that she was marrying into a fine pureblood family. Although many purebloods were upset at losing who they considered a fine candidate for their own children. The wedding was to take place the following summer in order for Bella's sisters to attend as her bridesmaids.

"How is the ickle heir," Bella said tauntingly, "Is Aunt Walburga still calling you her disappointment?" She grinned wickedly.

"It depends, _Bells_ ," he said knowing she hated that particular nickname, "Do you enjoy snogging Rodolphus as much as you enjoy using that baby voice with me?"

She glared at him, "He is a fine pureblood, and I am fulfilling my duty as a Black and pureblood, something you should think about doing," she added.

"Bellatrix Lestrange," he said looking her straight in the eyes, not flinching at the dirtiest look she had ever given him. "Has a nice ring to it, yes?" His voice lacked emotions, something he had learned to perfect; Regulus lacked this trait, his parents didn't seem to care too much at Regulus's more sensitive nature.

"You don't deserve to be the heir to our noble name, your disobedience will get you nowhere, cousin," she looked him up and down, emphasizing precisely what she thought of his character.

"If you'll excuse me, mum wants me to spend more time with purebloods my age, and you're a little too old for me, cousin," he added with a mischievous wink before turning around. He was soon taken into a conversation by the Lestranges who coincidentally all left when their youngest child and only daughter, Anna Lestrange, approached wearing light blue dressing robes that enhanced her blue eyes. Her dark brown hair was done in curls and thrown over one shoulder.

"Hello, Sirius," she said adoringly. He hated her. She was the epitome of a perfect pureblood, and he hated her for it.

"Hello, Anna," he said, his voice came out dull and harsh.

"Dance with me," she phrased it like a question, but he knew it was a request. He saw his father over Anna's shoulder giving him a look that told him consequences would be given if he didn't behave as expected.

He sighed and grabbed Anna's hand, taking her to where people stood dancing. He held one hand in hers and the other on her waist. They moved in a normal waltz fashion, adding a twirl every so often that caused Anna to giggle annoyingly. After three dances, he thought he endured enough torture with Anna to please his parents. He knew his father was still watching him, he felt his eyes on his back. He decided torture with the other pureblood children wasn't as bad as hearing Anna giggle one more time.

"If you'll excuse me Anna, I must go find Wren and Atreus." He raised the hand he was holding to his mouth and placed a soft kiss on her hand, knowing that would earn him points with anyone else who would attempt to analyze his movements.

"Hello, Wren, Atreus," he said nodding to each. He saw Regulus from a distance chatting away with a group of boys and girls.

"Good evening, Sirius, we were just discussing your cousin's engagement. You must be thrilled to have her marrying into the Lestranges." Wren declared, nodding at Atreus.

"Of course," he stated plainly. "I do, however, feel pity for Rodolphus. My cousin has quite the temper, Narcissa would have made for a better wife, if you want peace that is."

They laughed the laughs their fathers had passed down that made it seem as if he had just said the funniest thing ever. "Yes, she's quite the looker as well."

After enduring another ten minutes of it, he decided to head over to his father. "Hello, father," he said looking into his eyes.

"Hello, Sirius, have you enjoyed your night?" The tone said that he had to enjoy his night or else.

"Yes, it was quite the night. I danced with Anna Lestrange and chatted away with Atreus and Wren." His tone showed none of his emotions, "I'm quite tired, father, may I go to bed?"

His father examined him, "Spend ten more minutes chatting with some of the adults, then you may head off to bed."

"Thank you, father," he said before making the round.

—

It was a June wedding, every prominent pureblood the Blacks knew were in attendance for the marriage of Bellatrix Black and Rodolphus Lestrange. The wedding was quite beautiful and large—a wedding announcement was even in the _Daily Prophet_. He watched bored as they said, "I do," not even bothering to have their own vows. There was no love there, Sirius didn't even know if he believed in love. His parents never said it to one another, they never said it to him or Regulus. If there was anyone he loved though, it was his brother. Regulus was still innocent, despite his

parents' influence on him.

—

It was his last summer before Hogwarts, his uncle Cygnus and his aunt Druella were over for tea, along with Narcissa and Andromeda.

Andromeda motioned for him to follow her to the drawing room after she watched Regulus and Narcissa follow her parents into the dining room. He watched as she cast an Imperturbable charm on the door.

"I have to tell you something, Sirius, but you cannot tell anyone I told you. We'd both be in so much trouble," she said quickly.

"What is it, Andromeda?" He asked slightly worried.

"I'm eloping, Sirius. I can't marry Castor Selwyn, I refuse to when I have a perfectly nice boyfriend."

"You have a boyfriend?"

She smiled, "Yes, his name is Edward Tonks. Ted for short, I love him."

"Why can't you marry him without eloping?"

"He's a muggle-born, Si, my parents would stop me. I'm eloping tonight, so this might be the last I see of you, cousin." She had tears in her eyes. "Remember one thing, Sirius."

"What," he asked.

"You don't have to be like them, Sirius. You decide who you get to be." She gave him a kiss on the cheek to while he repressed the urge to flinch at the contact.* "Let's go before they come for us."

—

It was Tuesday, August thirty-first, one day until he was leaving for Hogwarts. He was happy to be leaving, but he would miss Regulus—he couldn't imagine how mental he would turn with only his parents and Kreacher for company. He finished packing his robe and the money his father had given him in his trunk and gave Atë* an owl treat. His parents had given him a new broom (although he couldn't take it with him) and owl for an early Sorting gift. They were so proud that he would be sorted into Slytherin, part of him felt robbed for being a Black. Andromeda could just escape, she didn't have to pass down the Black name, and he doubted she cared about being blasted off the family tapestry .

He went to sleep early that night with hopes that tomorrow he'd be free from the nuthouse.

—

He grabbed his wand off the table where he had set it down—it was a twelve inch, ebony wand with a unicorn hair.* He quickly changed after breakfast, he put on the fancy muggle clothes his father had purchased from a muggle store with great distaste—he would have loved to see the look on his father's face as he purchase it. His father says if he was going to dress like filth it might as well be good quality.

They apparated to King's Cross Station at half-ten where they crossed the barrier between nine and ten and waited for Narcissa to arrive with her parents. He spotted her soon after arriving, she had already put on her black robes, showing off her shiny green and silver Prefect badge.

"Hello, Uncle Orion, Aunt Walburga." Narcissa said like the suck up he knew her to be. His parents chatted away with his aunt and uncle as he spoke with Regulus.

"I'll miss you, you know," Regulus admitted.

Sirius smirked, "I know, I'm very likable," he said.

"Don't make fun of me, Si, you might make me not miss you." He joked.

"I'll miss you too, I suppose," he gave his brother a quick squeeze on the shoulder before turning to his mother who had requested his attention.

"Remember, Sirius. You are a Black and must behave as such. You are representing us while at Hogwarts; you cannot just befriend any sort of person. You already know Wren Parkinson and Atreus Avery, they'll guide you to being a true pureblood. You shall not consort with mudbloods. Anna Lestrange will also be in your house, so it would be wise of you to befriend her for the meantime as well. You do not cause the wrong sort of trouble, do you understand? There will be consequences for misbehavior."

"Yes, mother," he said, although he knew he could cause all kinds of trouble if he truly desired. The thought excited him.

After a few more minutes of lecturing, his uncle and father helped them find a compartment to leave their belongings in. Sirius quickly put on a set of robes and joined Narcissa in saying goodbye. "I'll see you at Christmas, Reg," he smiled at him while his parents gave him a warning look and nods of acknowledgement. That was more than he could hope for.

He walked with Narcissa as she chatted away, nodding at the right moments in a bored fashion.

They stopped by their compartment in the front of train, "Go find Wren and Atreus, Sirius, I have to go to the Prefect's compartment for a meeting, be good and remember what your mum told you," Cissy said as if she was speaking to a child.

"Behave," she said before departing.

"Behave," he scoffed, "like she doesn't know me at all."

"Do you usually talk to yourself?" A messy haired boy asked as he walked past him to the trolley.

"Only on Wednesdays," he responded. "And you are?" He asked, calculating the boy's actions.

"James Potter," he replied picking up a couple of treats. "And you?" 

"Sirius," he replied, not wanting to divulge his heritage just yet, especially not with someone who he knew to be pureblood. "Are you going to buy out the whole trolley?" Sirius asked as he noticed James's continual grasping of the sweets. He saw James's lips twitch and eyes twinkle.

"No, I'm trying to supply the animals of the world with food, do you think this is enough?" Sirius laughed. James seemed a bit mad.

"You're a bit bonkers, aren't you?" he questioned.

"No, mum says I'm completely bonkers," the boy replied as he handed the trolley lady a few coins.

"I'd bargain she's right."

"How do you feel about rules, Sirius?" He asked as the trolley lady handed him his change.

"They don't exist," he grinned at him as he continued to follow James into a compartment—better James than the dull children his parents wish him to befriend.

James grinned, "I think we'll get along just fine, mate."

They entered the compartment to find a girl with dark red hair sitting in the compartment. James shrugged his shoulders and made to sit in the seat closest to the door—Sirius sat across from him.

James tossed him a chocolate frog which he accepted with a nod. They continued talking and laughing, James was quite the comedian from the stories he told. He never met a pureblood quite like James Potter. Perhaps because no one was quite like James or due to his  
parents' standards that he only befriend those who were boring and only knew to insult mudbloods as a topic of conversation. "Mum was so mad," he continued. "She took away my broom after that, but she gave it back one I accidentally made the glass case explode over me. She found me just sitting there and felt bad."

"I accidentally made my brother get stuck to his chair at dinner because I wasn't allowed dessert, and he was. They couldn't get him unstuck, so they had to cut his robes open."

James laughed loudly, "Bloody brilliant, I always wanted a brother."

"Annoying pest, really, but Reg is alright, I suppose." He only wished his parents at least cared about a percentage of what they cared for Regulus. "Although, the stunt cost me my broom and dessert for a month." He felt bad lying, but he knew what his parents did wasn't normal—or not to someone who seemed as boyishly innocent as James, he reminded him of Regulus that way.

They stopped talking briefly as the compartment door opened and a boy in robes came in, they ignored him and continued their conversation, although excerpts of the boy and girl's conversation became hard to block out.

"So she's my sister!" The redhead screeched—he wondered if she was part banshee.

"She's only a—" the boy began. He wondered what the boy was going to say, it was obvious they knew one another. He wondered if she was from a pureblood family or perhaps a half-blood.

Sirius eyes the boy briefly before becoming uninterested again, "What do you suppose it'll be like, Hogwarts?"

"Bloody brilliant, a perfect place to perfect pranks." He replied to Sirius, he had to repress a smile as he answered with, "Must you illiterate?"

"I must," James grinned, he found James very weird—he didn't seem to care what he said or did. He wondered  
what that felt like, not having to plan out everything you said in fear of being punished.

"But we're going! This is it! We're off to Hogwarts!" The other boy in the compartment practically screamed. "You'd better be a Slytherin," the last part took James's attention away from him. All he could think about was all he read about the Dark Arts, the spells his fated used on him, the dull parties he would most likely be going to for the rest of his life. He really hoped the boy wasn't in the same house with him if he did get sorted into Slytherin, his hair looked too oily for his taste.

"Slytherin?" He heard James voice in disgust. "Who wants to be in Slytherin? I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?" He asked him.

Sirius became sad for a moment before arranging his face to show no emotions. "My whole family have been in Slytherin," he replied in a controlled voice.

"Blimey," said James, "and I thought you seemed alright!" Sirius couldn't stop the grin that escaped him.

"Maybe I'll break the tradition." He said, hoping that perhaps he wouldn't have to be stuck in the life of a Black. He wouldn't have to worry about marrying Anna and producing an heir to the Black name, he wouldn't have to worry about the spells he read about. He knew hoping was deluding himself for a while longer, but if was all he could do. He was tired of being used, "Where are you heading, if you've got the choice?" he questioned. He remember the few occasions where his father would mention one of the other three house. All he heard was how great Slytherin was because of their pureblood obsession.

He imitated the lifting of a sword and said without a doubt, "'Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart!' Like my dad!" The greasy haired boy made an unflattering noise, almost a scoff. "Got a problem with that?" James asked taking in the boy's appearance. If it wasn't for the sallow look to him and greasy hair, Sirius might have thought him to be a Black—the black hair and better than you attitude were most certainly there.

"No," the boy said with a sneer, "If you'd rather be brawny than brainy—" the comment angered Sirius who felt a need to protect his new friend.

"Where're you hoping to go, seeing as you're neither?" he interjected.

James roared with laughter as the redhead sat up looking flushed. The girl was pretty if you didn't mind hot-tempered banshees.

"Come on, Severus, let's find another compartment." She said in a tone of self-importance.

"Oooooo…" James and Sirius imitated her tone; James attempted to trip Severus as he passed but failed.

"See ya, Snivellus," Sirius called out to him as the door slammed.

They both roared with laughter. "Blood brilliant, Snivellus?" James questioned.

"What can I say, I'm a genius."

—

They chatted away for several hours, talking about their homes and mental girls and whatever else occurred to them. It felt nice having a new topic to discuss.

"I was born and raised in Wales, but mum and dad are English."

"You do have a slight Welsh accent if you listen hard." James grinned.

"You're English, I presume?"

"From London, my neighbors were muggle though, so mother and father forbade Regulus and me from playing with them."

"We're the only ones for miles where I live. It's nice for flying on brooms without exposing ourselves, but I would have enjoyed being around children my age more." He paused for a moment, "What family are you from?"

"It's a surprise," he grinned, "you'll find out at the Sorting." But Sirius wished he wouldn't.

—

"No way can a kneazle beat a crup!" James argued.

"Have you seen those bloody cats," he replied, "they're more mental than that redhead." James laughed at that with a mischievous glint in his eyes. 

"I wonder if she's part nymph," he asked jokingly.

"Ask her," he dared.

"Alright," he accepted.

—

"If mum thinks she can marry me to Anna Lestrange she is bloody mental." He said without thinking, taking a sip of pumpkin juice they purchased off the trolley.

"My mum wants me to marry Scarlett Harris—she's a year younger than us. She claims to be in love with me, she's ten how would she know what love is?"

"Harris? Is she pureblood?" He questioned, trying to recall any Harris he might've met.

"No, she's half-blood," he waved away the question as if it didn't matter. "My dad says mum's already planning the wedding." Sirius laughed, forgetting about pureblood duties for the time being.

—

"Oi! Hurry, let's get a boat together!" James said as he adjusted his glasses. They quickly found a boat after being led by the gamekeeper. "At least we don't have to carry the luggage," Sirius said as he got in, "I don't think a scrawny lad like you could handle it." He joked.

"I am not scrawny," James said pushing Sirius lightly, Sirius panicked for a moment after feeling the punch until he realized James wasn't actually trying to hurt him. Sirius pushed James back as they proceeded to see who was stronger.

"May I join you, lads?" A voice asked politely.

"Of course, hop in," James replied. "I'm James Potter," he continued trying to shove Sirius off while chatting. "This goofball is Sirius, but he won't tell me his last name. Says it's a surprise, you know."

"My name is Remus Lupin." The boy shyly said.

James finally managed to push him in, but Sirius wasn't going to be the only one wet. He managed to pull James down with him. They laughed as Remus tried to pull them up and they gave each other a significant look before trying to drag Remus down as well as he attempted to help him, but the boy was stronger than he looked. He finally managed to pull them up when they arrived. James and he were soaking wet but that wouldn't stop them from grinning at the fun of it. Sirius didn't think he'd ever had this much fun in his life without punishment. Sirius looked at Remus as he cast a quick spell—the wand emitting a hot air, steaming their robes as they began to dry.

The boy was average height with green eyes and sandy brown hair that stayed in place unlike James's. He looked quite ill but content. Sirius nodded his approval of the spell and focused on the gamekeeper. The door opened to reveal a black-haired witch in emerald robes. She looked like the type of witch who wouldn't tolerate anything but rules, who it would be hard crossing the line with her eyes on you—this year would definitely be interesting if nothing else.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said the gameskeeper.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."

They entered the Entrance Hall, the stone walls lit with flaming torches, the ceiling taller than Hagrid, and a beautiful marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors. He couldn't wait to explore every inch of this school and create a bit of mischief.

They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor.

"Hey, Red, are you part nymph? Sirius and I want to know." James yelled out to the redhead. They were betting on who could annoy the redhead and Snivellus the most, the girl ignored them while the greasy git glared at them. Professor McGonagall led them into a small empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, forgetting about boundaries as they peered about nervously.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start of term feast will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. While you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory and spend free time in your house common room. The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule breaking," she eyed James and him as they grinned at one another, "will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting." Her eyes lingered for a moment on Remus's pale face before turning to eye Snivellus's greasy hair and finally to James's jungle hair—maybe he should use some of that Sleekeazy's Hair Potion his mum sometimes makes him wear. Instead of trying to fix his hair, however, he decided to run his fingers through it.

"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly." James and he ignored her as they occupied their time in perfecting the art of sword fighting with their wands.

"How exactly do they sort us into houses?" Red asked.

"Some sort of test, I think. My older brother said it we have to go through trials of deeds, but I think he was lying." Another said nervously. James and he stopped their sword fight and looked around at the nervous faces, are they mental, he wondered.

"That's not how you get sorted," He said tired and annoyed. "You get sorted by the Sorting Hat."

"The Sorting Hat?" A girl asked skeptically.

"It's a talking hat that the founders left behind so students would be able to be sorted after they were gone." James explained to her. "Dad said the hat was originally Godric Gryffindor's."

"You expect us to believe that we're sorted by a talking hat? We're not that easy to fool." James was about to respond to Red when McGonagall returned.

"The Sorting Ceremony is about to begin." She looked between James and Red before continuing, "Now, form a line, and follow me."

He got into line behind James, they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.

The room was lit by thousands of candles that floated in mid-air over four long tables, where the older students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the Hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting.

Professor McGonagall led them up there, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. Hundreds of faces stared at them, amongst them the misty silver ghosts. Sirius looked around watching the beauty of Hogwarts, he looked up and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars—the Black tradition he couldn't escape.

He focused his attention back on Professor Mcgonagall as she put a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she placed a pointed wizard's hat "I told you so," he heard James utter to Red who stood a few spots in front of him, he saw her blush slightly as she turned around to glare. The hat begun to sing its song and the Hall burst into applause as the hat finished it moments later. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became still again. Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Annalee," was called first to sit on the stool. She was the blonde who had stood in front of James with her hair in pigtails; she became a Hufflepuff.

Professor McGonagall called him forward shortly, he felt James stiffen as he passed him. Sirius avoided looking at him. Blacks were always Slytherins, always. Why would he be different. Sirius finally allowed the hat to be placed on his head after a glare from Professor McGonagall—bloody hell, she could rival his parents in the glare department.

" _Ah, another Black, I see,"_ the hat whispered in his ear. _"A Black who doesn't want to be a Black…You're scared of being like your parents and not living up to it if you are a Slytherin."_ Sirius wished it would just decide, _"I see the potential to be brave and a mischievous soul. Better be...GRYFFINDOR!"_

Sirius was shocked as he walked over to the Gryffindor table hesitantly. He didn't know if they would want him, he was a Black after all. He heard the silence of the Slytherin table, they had fully prepared to take in another Black—he couldn't fault them, he was a Black. He felt the anger they radiated. He looked over at the table quickly and saw Cissy blush as other Slytherins surrounding her stared accusingly. Lucius Malfoy gave her an annoyed look, as if she inconvenienced him for the hat's decision.

The Gryffindor table looked skeptical but clapped anyways, he noticed some of their faces held smug smiles. He carefully sat down, not being able to prolong the moment any longer. He was scared of his parents' reactions as the Slytherins glared at him, but he couldn't suppress the grin—he didn't have to completely be a Black.

He watched as the sorting process continued. He noticed Red's trembling as she walked forward and sat down upon the stool. Professor McGonagall dropped the hat onto her head, and barely a second after it had touched the dark red hair, the hat cried, "Gryffindor!"

He noticed James's grin and wondered why. Red took off the hat, handed it back to the professor, then hurried toward the cheering Gryffindors, but as she went she glanced back at Snivellus, there was a sad little smile on her face. He move up the bench to make room for the new Gryffindor, she looked at him once and folded her arms, turning her back on him—so redheads do have tempers, maybe she _is_ part banshee.

He watched as more first years were sorted—ones he knew and ones he never met. Eventually, "Lupin, Remus" was called. He sat upon the still, allowing McGonagall to set the hat on his head.

"Gryffindor!" The hat called after a minute, he watched Remus smile and handed the hat back to Professor McGonagall. 

Remus looked uncomfortable, like he didn't know what to do, "Oi, Remus, join me, mate!" Remus sat across from him. 

He watched as Remus tried to stifle his laughs as he made comments about what animal be thought everyone would be—he said Anna Lestrange would be a good troll, although she wasn't bad looking.

—

Peter Pettigrew was a nervous wreck as he waited for his name to be called. For a time he didn't think he would even come to Hogwarts—his mother liked to coddle him, he thinks she felt guilt for his father leaving them. His dad left when he was four, he was a muggle who didn't know his wife was a witch until his son started to do accidental magic. He vaguely remembered the day he left, his mum cried for hours hugging Peter to her and telling him he was all she had left.

"Pettigrew, Peter," he sat upon the stool and had the hat placed upon him.

" _Hmm…"_ the hat whispered. _"You're ambitious, you wish to be like those superheroes you read about. You can be deceiving when you want to be—you lie to your mother a lot. You want to be brave."_ The continued to analyze his characteristics for another minute or so. Peter was beginning to worry he didn't belong anywhere as the hat debated between Gryffindor and Slytherin. _"You would do well in Slytherin, but you want to belong, don't you? You want to be protected, and Slytherins protect their own."_ The hat continued, "Better be GRYFFINDOR!" He hopped off the stool taking off the hat and was soon replaced by a messy haired boy.

—

Sirius watched the mousy haired boy join the Gryffindor table and was soon followed by James. At last, when only a dozen students remained to be sorted, Professor McGonagall called forward Snivellus.

The hat didn't hesitate in calling out, "Slytherin!" the moment it touched his head. He was everything Sirius could have been and didn't want to. The git wanted to be there, it disgusted Sirius.

—

"You never said you were a Black, what did you think I'd feed you to the giant squid?" asked James. Sirius felt nervous as he felt James's hazel eyes on him. 

"In his defense, you did try," Remus quietly said, lightening the mood; Sirius was grateful as he laughed along with James.

"I apologize for attempting to assassinate you, my good sir," James mock apologized, handing him his napkin as a favor.

"All is forgiven, my dear gentleman," replied Sirius in the same manner until he remembered the prior conversation and became serious. "I don't want to be like my family, beheading house-elves because they get old, treated like royalty because of my name. I'm bloody amazing, I don't need that name to tell me so." He took a bite of his potatoes.

"I believe you, Sirius Black. You're a bloody Gryffindor." Sirius smiled slightly.

"What did you lads do to Lily?" Remus asked, uncertainty in his voice. "I mean, never mind, it's your business not mine."

"Don't be ridiculous, Remus, you're our mate." Sirius said grinning. He had mates now.

—

"Dad's a potioneer, I nicked some of the potions he made just in case." James said, "Some of them might be fun to spike the pumpkin juice with if we can find the kitchen."

"I'm up for a bit of exploring," said Sirius, "I'll explore this whole castle,"

"Are you in, Remus?" James asked.

"I'm in," Remus replied. "I've always loved a good mystery."

—

Two Prefects led them out of the Great Hall and up the marble staircase, James and he chatted as they walked with Remus staying a bit quiet, but he assumed he was a bit knackered from the feast.

"He should be our friend," Remus finally said to James and him, motioning to where a mousy haired boy stood.

"Why? No offense, mate, but he looks like a bit of a chump." Sirius said eyeing the shy boy. 

"I have to agree with Sirius on this, Remus." James responded awkwardly before messing up his hair.

"You said that you are my friends, right?" They nodded confused. "Well, I'm not the type of person lads like you typically hang out with, am I?" Before they could protest he added, "He's the same, lads. Plus, you guys told me you wanted to have fun at Hogwarts, to explore and be rebellious. If we have him with us, would a teacher like Professor McGonagall really think you were up to no good?"

"Up to no good? Us?" James said in faux surprise. "Never," he grinned.

"You two have mischief written all over your face." Remus countered, "Peter—I think that's his name—doesn't. We'll be the perfect mates." He stopped for a moment and pleaded with his eyes. "What do you say?"

"Sirius, Remy here has a point."

"Remy?" Sirius questioned. "Do I get a nickname too?" He asked in fake anguish.

"Yes, it's git." James grinned at them. "Now let's go make a friend. "Oi! Peter, over here!" James whispered loudly. He noticed a few of the girls turn to giggle and rolled his eyes, it reminded him of annoying Anna.

Peter looked confused. "Me?" He squeaked out.

James nodded, "We—Git," (Sirius hit him on the shoulder for that), "Remus, and I would like to extend our offer of comradery to you if you wish to accept."

"Umm…what?" He looked lost.

"What the idiot here—that's your new nickname by the way, James—" James pouted in what would be a good imitation if not for his eyes. "means is, would you like to be our friend?"

"Are you serious?" Peter asked in shock.

The side of his mouth twitched. "Why, yes, I am," he laughed, "Sirius Black at your service." He said extending his hand. Peter took it and he could feel what Remus was talking about. They were all lonely boys.

—

"Since there's nine of you," The Prefect began, "there will be two rooms connected to one bathroom—you're free to decide who you want to room with. Each room has five beds, so suit yourself. Curfew for first to fourth year is half-eight, so be in before then or you'll serve a detention or lose points depending on who finds you." With that he left.

"Are you coming with us or what, Potter?" A brown-eyed boy asked James, indicating himself and two dark haired boys.

"No," James said defiantly, Sirius could tell he didn't like when people assumed things about him, "Why would you assume I would?"

The brown-eyed boy looked at him as if it were obvious. "So you'd rather befriend a loser, a Black, and someone who looks to be a vampire?"

Sirius was ready to punch the boy into next week, especially after watching Remus and Peter looked down self-consciously. How dare the bloody git go making them feel bad. How dare he try to tell them who they are.

"Oh how silly of me," he heard James say in mock understanding, "yes, why would I want to be friends with Remy who is a heck of a bloody lad and probably knows more spells than you do, Mumps." James's lips twitched slightly, trying to repress a smile. "Or Peter who is probably far nicer and more loyal than you, loyalty is everything to a _true_ Gryffindor. As for Sirius being a Black, I quite enjoy hanging with rebels. You'd be too much of a softie for me to hang out with." James rolled his eyes, "Coming, lads?" James asked looking back at us. Sirius grinned, feeling touched at the hazel-eyed boy, as he opened one of the doors.

He was finally home, finally done being used.

—

 **A/N:**

 **Thank you for reading and sorry for the wait.**

 **I hope I didn't disappoint. I feel like Sirius would have been abused, you see him from a child wanting affection to a child who flinches at it. He knows his family isn't normal yet part of him wants to fit in. He says "mudblood" because he's used to it, for him it's the same as saying "muggle-born." We see his interaction with Andromeda who marries a muggle-born and gets blasted of the Black family tapestry. He meets James Potter who is free and innocent and so naive in many ways. People say James affected Sirius, but the same is said for Sirius affecting James—I feel like the more harming hexing (even if not dark) James would later do is Sirius's influence on him. Anyways, I wanted to show the closeness of Sirius to Regulus, all they really had was another but you can tell Regulus is the more obedient one while Sirius has more punishments.**

 **ASTERISKS EXPLANATION:**

 **One, I feel like Regulus would be more likely to call Orion dad than Sirius would.**

 **Two, I feel like Sirius wouldn't consider Kreacher a being due to Kreacher's treatment of him.**

 **Three, distant aunt, Belvina Burke (née Black), daughter of Phineus Nigellus Black. She dies in 1962; Lycoris Black dies in 1965, but I didn't feel like writing another death.**

 **Four, since I stated last chapter that there wasn't any more Potters I had to kill off Charlus Potter and his son. Dorea doesn't die until 1977 according to the Black family tapestry , so in order to stick to canon as much as I can, I could kill her off.**

 **Five, I said muggle Aurors because Sirius is a pureblood so it's like Lily telling her parents "wizard copper/bobbie."**

 **Six, while Charlus and his son were Potters, they weren't descendant from Hardwin's line like James. Therefore, they never would have been in possession of the invisibility cloak, and also explains why Dorea wasn't blasted off (since the Potters related to James are blood-traitors).**

 **Seven, I felt like young Sirius wouldn't have considered elves as beings too much without James's influence.**

 **Eight, Elladora was the one who started this tradition as mentioned by Sirius in OotP.**

 **Nine, I felt like Sirius needed to feel cruel plain in order to later show it, a mark of his inability to completely wash away being a Black.**

 **Ten, Regulus is six, Sirius is seven. Therefore it's between February and October of 1967. (Regulus's birthday is February 23 in the story).**

 **Eleven, Nobby Leach died in 1968, so Sirius was eight when it happen, but nine as he recalls the memory.**

 **Twelve, I mention disappearances since in Remus's article on Pottermore it talks about Voldemort's actions with dark creatures since Remus was four. I think there would be a period where there's no explanation on the disappearances until they finally admit to there being a dark wizard. Voldemort rose to power sometime in 1975 since Eugenia Jenkins was thrown out of office that year for being "inadequate to the challenge."**

 **Thirteen, he flinches due to his discomfort at being touched. A) because he lacks affection and B) because he is abused by his father.**

 **Fourteen, Atë (pronounced as AA-t-ee; ah-tuh-ay), she's the Greek goddess of mischief, author of all rash actions and their results. The named seemed fitting, plus, Sirius needs an affectionate animal after his tragic life.**

 **Fifteen, his wand is never described in the series, so I came up with it using JKR's guide on wands. I debated between dogwood (JKR would be the kind to do this, I mean she named the best werewolf in the series, Remus—son of she-wolf—John—actually normal—Lupin—wolf. His Parents, Lyall—wolf surname—and Hope (née Howell—which sounds like Howl)) and ebony. Dogwood wands are quirky and mischievous and have playful natures, they like to have fun, something Sirius definitely is. But they have trouble with non-verbal spells and are noisy, and while Sirius is loud, he is graceful and I felt the wand was too light for his dark tone. Ebony, on the other hand, is jet-black with an impressive appearance and reputation and are highly suited to combative magic and to Transfiguration. It's happiest with those with the courage to be themselves, so it tends to pick nonconformist, highly individual or comfortable with the status of outsider. The person sticks to their beliefs, no matter what, and will not be swayed lightly. His wand is twelve inches because the bigger the wand the bigger the personality. His wand is supple because it's he's graceful and most likely undergoes many changes in his life. The unicorn core is most consistent, hardest to turn to Dark Arts, and loyal much like Sirius (credit to most of this paragraph to Pottermore).**

 **QUESTIONS (same as in the previous a/n that was taken down):**

 **One, how do you imagine quidditch robes (there's not much said in the series about robes in general, but even less about quidditch ones)? And I want to make it possible for them to actually play quidditch with the robes on since it doesn't seem possible with regular robes.**

 **Two, how do you imagine regular robes they use for school (I'm trying to get different opinions since so little is said in the books except that they are black, you pull them off, and that they possibly go up to your neck since Hermione was able to hide the time turner and there's this quote said when Dumbledore mentioned it in order to save Sirius)? The movie robes aren't really canon to the books since it doesn't make sense, so I'll try to stick to it book canon, I'll explain why in another actual chapter.**

 **As always, reviews are very much appreciated.**

 **Marie.**

 **PS: I'll try writing more this weekend, but my birthday is Tuesday, so I might not get a chance.**


	4. A Tale of Two Homes

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, Twist and Shout (The Beatles), Live Like You're Dying (Lenka), Bad Blood (Bastille), We're Going to be Friends (The White Stripes), Color (The Maine), Magical Mystery Tour (The Beatles), or any quotes that came from The Prince's Tale (JK Rowling).**

 **I stopped putting the lyrics because I didn't want to run the risk of FF taking this story down. Also, the songs are just songs that have certain lyrics that reminded me of the characters or a scene. I'm sorry I've been busy, but I got my license on James Potter's birthday, so that was exciting.**

 **I was supposed to post this on Saturday, but didn't (I was kept busy driving). And I was going to finish this on the 27th to post it but was at the DMV, then on the 28th (yesterday) I didn't know I had company coming, so I've literally been working on this until like six in the morning sometimes and it's almost SIXTEEN THOUSAND WORDS (that's about double the size of Remus's).**

 **I'm also trying to write in British english for this story from this point on.**

 **Reply to reviewers:**

 **EricaElena: thank you for your reviews. I do believe they have a strict dress codes but what it consists of confuses me (I have an idea, but none of the ff stories ever describe it like that, so I may be wrong, but I might try a combination of what's in my head). As for your second comment, Lily will be like that but she will also have her moments of tempers (as in Snape's Worst Memory and the flashbacks from the Prince's Tale). Lily is both kind and it may seem she isn't because of how she treated James in SWM, but she is a kind person (but she also has her bad day, and she seems like me in the way that once I don't like someone, I stick to my judgement—unless given a good reason not to). I get what you mean though, some of the fanfictions I've read have literally had James walking by and Lily yelling for no reason. But Lily isn't a goodie-two-shoes (she didn't listen to her mum's instructions not to let go of the swings according to Petunia); she's nice, cheeky, smarty, probably a bit mischievous, she defends people who, etc. Jily is my favorite couple at the moment, so I will try to bring their characters out as best as I can (which is why I love reviews).**

 **Maraudeer: Thank you! I don't think I actually changed Sirius's term of "mudblood" to "Muggle-born" yet, but you will see that in the next few chapters.**

 **ValkyrieCain3: Thank you! I love that you love the characters, and I adore long reviews. I actually have a similar idea of doing the same day type thing for the scene from SWM and perhaps the event that led to the Whomping Willow (but not all the characters, only the ones I think are important to those scenes). And I did have similar thoughts for the robes but no one else seems to ever write them like that—I mean no one seemed to know Snape wasn't wearing pants so...**

 **EbonyandIvory47: I did know it was Bastille, but I had a moment where my mind thought it was an album rather than band and put Imagine Dragon instead, so thank you. And I appreciate the review.**

 **Now read and review: I try posting every two weeks.**

 _ **Prelude to Part I and II: A Mother's Choice**_

Every good story starts off with a mother's decision; a lesson Merope Gaunt and Lily Evans (eventually Potter) would never get the chance to see; how their decisions shaped the entirety of the Wizarding World. The decisions of Eileen Prince and Rosalie Carter would be ones that greatly shaped the outcome of the first rise of Lord Voldemort as well, for neither knew as they watched their young children grow up how those young children could change the world—for every parent wants to believe their children will change the world but none believe that it will be by such a natural act as giving birth or such a mundane act of passing information. None would wish that their child change the world by dying.

—

 _ **Part I: Rosalie Carter, the Outcome of War**_

" **Live Like You're Dying," Lenka**

—

 _April 1953_

Rosalie Carter hated to be lost, even if it was by her own doing. She had never felt so alone in the world as she did in that moment. She had already lost so much in the war that was supposedly long gone, but it would never be gone for her. Rosalie had lost her brother, her uncle, and her father in the span of six years. Her father had joined the war shortly after it begun and left the world when she was nine. Her brother Paul had died a few years later in nineteen forty-five, two months before the end of the war at the age of nineteen. That only ones left were her mother Elizabeth, her sister Emma, and her; her mother had once had a brother, but he didn't make it out of infancy. Her mother had decided that she'd rather be alone since her brother's death and had pushed Emma and her away at any chance; they had finally learned to take her hints. Emma, however, decided to take a healthier approach and live her life to the fullest; she allowed herself to love, to marry her boyfriend of two years instead.

That's how Rosalie came to be lost. After her sister's wedding, she decided to drive until she came to be outskirts of a town, outside the Railview Hotel in Nottinghamshire. She couldn't keep running away from her problems, she knew that, but it was easier than being with the ghost of her past; of seeing her mother rot away, of seeing her sister so happy when she was not. She wanted to start somewhere new, where everyone didn't know she had an unstable mother, three dead relatives due to the war, and was on the verge of giving up on looking for a happy ever after; the town seemed to express her emotions. It was quiet and gloomy and with her awful luck had started to rain. The town looked like the personification of Death, but she loved it. To her, it looked beautiful despite the obvious sadness of the town.

She went inside, getting drenched in the process and asked for a room to which the landlord gave a slightly disapproving look which Rosalie decided to overlook. She grabbed her bag from the floor, heading to room sixteen when she bumped into a tall man.

"I apologize," he said, helping her to her feet. "Charles Evans," he sounded confident and a bit amused, "You're new to town, aren't you?"

He was handsome with his blond hair and green eyes while she surely looked like a mess. "Am I so obvious?" she questioned.

"I, myself, have just arrived to Cokeworth, I'm seeking a job as a bobbie here. People don't tend to stick around for very long, crime rates aren't the most ideal and the air tends to give some nightmares."

She laughed, "It's just the place I need to be. I'm Rosalie Carter."

"Nice to meet you, Miss Carter. I'll be in room thirteen if you need anything," he smiled one last time before heading away and she could hear the rhythm her heart was making. Cokeworth was most certainly where she needed to be.

—

Her days in the Railview were very interesting with a man like Mr. Evans there to entertain her. She had gone to his room on the second night, and he had proceeded to tell her stories of his training days with his buddies and told her that upon finishing, he returned to a town he had visited in his youth and had kept his interest for years to come. She told him about her mother, father, brother, and uncle and the events that led her there.

"I needed to escape, to be free of the war." She said as they attempted to watch the stars one night, it was hard to do so with the smog-filled air of the town, but that was part of the fun.

"I don't think we can ever escape the war, it'll haunt us," he would say, "All we can hope to do is raise our generation to be better, love them."

She began to fall in love with his words and soon enough she was falling in love with him and found a reason to stay in Cokeworth and away from the hotel. She wanted something permanent, so did he.

It was another one of those nights where they sat up and talked for hours, where he would make her feel light. He was passionate and funny and kind, he was brave and didn't mind a bit of uncertainty. That was why when he leaned in to kiss her, she didn't mind. She _really_ didn't mind.

"Stay," he mumbled against her lips gently, "move in with me." He kissed her again before she could respond, but she was happy to oblige.

"Aren't you a bit forward?" she questioned teasingly.

"No," he said pulling away, "I fancy you, and I've always been the kind of man to let my desires be known."

She pretended to think about it for a minute, "No," she said with a slight smile, "in order for me to move in with you, you'd need a home."

He laughed, "All right, let's find a home then, together." It wasn't phrased like a question which was almost ideal as her heart would have given no other response.

She grinned, "That sounds delightful, let's find a home."

—

 _April 1954_

It had been a year since she met Charles Evans, a year of loving him and being by his side. A year of the happiness she didn't think she was capable of feeling after so much death surrounding her, he was her hope for better days, and she was his biggest reason for wanting to make Cokeworth a better place.

She loved to plant flowers around their house or simply putting them in pots inside, making it a happier place to call home. She had a soft spot for the petunias and lilies that decorated the garden, they had always been her favourites.

She had been attending to the flowers when Charles had arrived home, telling her that he had special plans for them that night. She was intrigued enough to allow him to escort her to wherever he desired; she loved him after all.

He took her to a cozy restaurant outside Cokeworth, it was beautiful and smog-free. He made her laugh until she was crying, and she teased him endlessly about trying to be tough.

"Love of mine, what would I do without thee?" Rosalie giggled before replying, "Maybe you wouldn't say _'thee'_ and the world would be a better place."

"I deny that, art thou jealous?"

"Of what?" she mock scoffed, "Your ability to sound like a complete berk when speaking?"

"Of course, that takes true talent." He took her hand and placed a kiss upon it.

After their meal, he drove to the Railview Hotel. She gave him a questioning look, "You do know we are not that far from home?" she laughed before adding, "Unless you're getting a bit too old, Mr. Evans."

"I'm never too old for you, love." he winked at her before stepping out the automobile and over to her side, "Come along, Rosalie."

"Must I?" she pouted.

"Yes, I have a surprise for you."

"I do like surprises," she said, getting out of the automobile. He led her to the entrance of the hotel before he stopped. "Close your eyes."

"Someone's very commanding tonight," she teased knowing he was hardly commanding when off the clock. She shut her eyes and waited for her boyfriend to continue.

She heard a slight movement but continued being in the darkness of her eyes. "Rosalie Carter, love of my life, I've always known you were something special, something to love and treasure. This past year has been wonderful, and I can't help but want more than just one year. I want to spend every year of my life with you, if you'll have me." She allowed her eyes to open and take in the image of her Charles down on one knee. "Will you marry me?"

"Yes," she said with tears rolling down her face, "I'll marry you, Charles." He grinned at her and placed a ring on her finger—the design reminded her of flowers.

"It was my mother's," he said quietly; she knew it hurt him to think of his mother's death that occurred only months prior.

"She was a lovely woman." Her voice sounded quiet and foreign even to her.

—

 _June 1955_

It was a small June wedding in the town of Cokeworth with no more than forty in attendance. They could have had the wedding anywhere, but they had decided that they wanted to be married in the town where they had fallen in love, in the town where Rosalie was able to overcome her past and Charles had decided to attempt to better it.

They married in the only church in town where few went due to the chaotic schedules of the factories. They had decorated the church with lilies and petunias for the special occasion, Rosalie's doing. The minister would marry them, but Rosalie tuned him out occasionally as she focused on the love of her life only truly focusing when it was nearly time for the them to say the vows they had written.

"I do," she heard Charles say eventually, and she knew that two words had never sounded better. The way he looked at her had her trembling, he looked quite handsome in his suit.

"I do," she said as she heard him ask her if she promised to be with him in sickness and in health and everything else a marriage composed of.

"The couple have written their own vows," he stated, "Charles."

"My beloved Rosalie," Charles began, "The day we met you had just arrived from your sister's wedding and decided to grace our small town with your presence…" he continued to tell her sweet words that had her melting. Words that had happy tears falling down her face. Once finished she had said her own vows, crying as she did so.

"You may now exchange rings," the minister commanded, "Charles, place the ring upon Rosalie's hand and repeat, 'with this ring, I thee wed.'"

He slid the ring onto my ring finger on the left hand, "With this ring, I thee wed."

"Rosalie, place the ring upon Charles's hand and repeat, 'with this ring, I thee wed.'"

She slid the ring upon the finger next to his pinkie and repeated, "With this ring, I thee wed."

"I now pronounce you man and wife, you may now kiss the bride." Charles cupped her face and planted a gentle kiss on her lips with a promise of forever.

—

 _ **Part II: Eileen Prince, the One Who Choose Love or Thought She Did**_

" **Bad Blood," Bastille**

—

 _July 1957_

Eileen Prince wasn't completely sure how she had come to be in such a Muggle neighbourhood. All she knew was that she wanted to travel a bit before she was expected to marry some pure-blood she most likely didn't even know and produce a son for his line. She had been out of Hogwarts for a few years and her parents were beginning to pressure her with suitors who wanted to marry her just as much as she wanted to marry them. She had had a few internships and even the occasional meaningless job since leaving Hogwarts, she knew it was useless to get a real job since her parents expected her to be a housewife. She knew her brothers had it worse having to continue the Prince line, but she didn't think they minded much.

What she had never expected when she was drawn into this smog-filled town that she would fall in love with a Muggle. His name was Tobias Snape, and he worked at a coal factory. He had grown up in Cokeworth where his father too had worked at the same factory.

They had met for the first time two weeks ago, and she was already quite smitten with him. He was kind and charming and not bad on the eyes.* He didn't know she was witch or he would have ran in the other direction, Muggles just didn't understand.

"Hullo, Ellie," he said using the nickname he had for her. "Having fun in this silly park?" He had just gotten off work, and he was already drinking Muggle liquor. She hated the scent of it, not that she would ever tell him such a thing.

"Not really, I was just in the neighbourhood and thought it would distract me for a while." He took another sip, "There isn't much to this town," he said with a bitter laugh, "Dear old dad always said that you live to die in this town. Look where that landed him."

"Where?" she questioned.

"He's in prison, has been for the last six years. He didn't earn much, he thought it would be a good idea to stab a man when he had a bit too much rum in him. Not the brightest man." She thought of what her own family had done, the dark magic they had taught their children, the Muggles her ancestors had killed or tortured. She wasn't one to judge too harshly.

—

It had been months since she started seeing Tobias in secret. He still didn't know she was a witch, he thought that she was the daughter of some factory worker a town over. If only he knew she was the daughter of a semi-rich pure-blood family.

They went on dates, mostly to rubbish cafes or went to the park* after buying a sandwich or something just as mundane. It wasn't the most romantic courtship, but it was more than the Hogwarts boys ever did for her—they either stayed away from her because she was a Slytherin or courted her because of her blood.

Tobias wasn't perfect; he drank too much at times with his factory friends, he was a slob, he could be rude. Yet he made her feel what she had always imagined love to be like.

—

It was December seventeen nineteen fifty-seven when he asked her to marry him. It wasn't an ideal proposal, there wasn't an expensive diamond ring (or a ring at all) or a touching speech about how he had always loved her and couldn't imagine a life without her.

"Marry me?" Two words that would forever shape the outcome of her life. Two words that should carry out an intense emotion, but, instead, the words seemed like an inevitable circumstance. He didn't even bother to get down on one knee. He sat next to her in the same park that her future son would eventually meet a young Lily Evans. The tone he used wasn't one a person typically used when asking someone to spend the rest of their life with them. The tone would suggest that they were simply discussing what to eat for a meal.

Despite all of this being true she said yes. She was more than happy to marry him. The wedding was a mundane affair with two witnesses—Tobias's friend John and John's girlfriend. The wedding took place two days after his proposal in the small church of Cokeworth. With the Confundus Charm she was able to convince the Minister that they had indeed met all the requirements to be married—not that she would allow her husband-to-be to know. It was more important now than ever for her to keep her secret.

The ceremony went on as normal as possible, they had opted out of writing their own vows. They had repeated after the Minister and exchanged the wedding rings they had picked out at second hand shop. Eileen had some gold (although not much) saved away, but she didn't have time to undergo a currency exchange at Gringotts nor could she tell Tobias nor any Muggle where she had come upon those _strange_ coins.

The day after their marriage, once they were in _their_ home on Spinner's End (not her ideal home, but it would do), Eileen had written to her mother the Muggle way, her family's home while distanced from Muggles was not hidden from them. Her letter contained her announcement of marriage to Tobias and the obvious news that she would not be marrying any of the pure-blood suitors her parents had arranged for her.

—

The first year of marriage went by well. They rarely argued and Tobias continued his job at the factory. She went down by the river occasionally while he was at work—although the river wasn't the cleanest, it also wasn't the dirtiest thing around; Spinner's End was filled with tons of rubbish, polluting the skies. The only downside of the marriage besides their location was the fact that she had to hide that she was a witch. Although, she did tend to take out her wand when Tobias was out; she wasn't a complete Muggle.

By June of the year proceeding their marriage she had realised that she was with child. She was going to be a mother.

"A child?" Tobias had said. She couldn't quite gage his reaction, but she knew it wasn't a pleasant one. He was upset. "We can't afford a child, Ellie." His hooked-nose and the dark brown—almost black—hair that was in bad need of a haircut only served to illuminate the ugly expression on his face.

"I didn't exactly plan this child." Eileen was annoyed, it took two people to create a child after all. There was a dark glint in his eyes before he let out an exasperated sigh and mumbled something about getting a drink.

—

It got worse from then on. That was when Tobias began drinking more than he had before. He began missing days of work and not telling her where he was. Her pregnancy only added to the amount of stress she was already overwhelmed with. She still loved him, but part of her began to wonder if she married him before she even really knew him. He wasn't the same man she fallen in love with.

—

Her child was born, and she felt so detached from the world. She cared for her son, but she wondered if she would be able to care for him. She was his mother, but she didn't feel like a mother. Sometimes she felt as if he were someone else's son and she was someone else entirely. She named him Severus Tobias Snape, after her grandfather and husband. She hoped that by naming him after her grandfather she'd feel more of a connection to him, but she didn't know what she felt.*

—

By the time Severus was two she realised her marriage to Tobias had been a dreadful mistake. He didn't care about their child or anything anymore. He came back drunk most nights. He scared her, it was coming to the point where he would sometimes look like he was about to hit her. It scared her, she could have used her wand on him, but part of her still cared for the man she thought he was.

The first time he hit her was the first time Severus had done magic—not that Tobias knew it at the time. Severus had been relentlessly crying all night, he had had a fever. She couldn't get him to quiet down, eventually plates and glasses began to shatter, Tobias had been in the living room when he heard the ruckus.

"You clumsy idiot," screamed Tobias. He was drunk again, past his usual level of drunk. She hated him when he was like this. She hated him in general, but she couldn't help but hope that he would change back to who he once was—or who she he had been.

She didn't know what to say, what she could say. He wouldn't react well in his state, not to mention that she'd be breaching the Statute of Secrecy—he'd have to know sooner or later, she preferred later.

"I'm sorry," Eileen uttered. He laughed joylessly before striking her, causing her to fall to the floor. She was shocked at first, but she should have seen it coming, she told herself. A small part of herself told her that no one really saw these things coming. Eileen lied on the floor, a hand cupping her face still trying to understand. Tobias stormed off shortly after. That was just the beginning.

—

 _ **Prelude to Part III and IV: Lily Evans and Severus Snape, Magic Amongst Muggles**_

Her name was Lily Evans and she was her father's darling girl. Her mother's fierce flower. Her sister's best friend. She was a normal girl in the small town of Cokeworth, England. On occasions, she went to church with her parents and sister. She attended school and even had a few girls she could call her friends. Everyone who met little Lily Evans couldn't help but marvel at the girl with the emerald green eyes—part of them knew that a girl like Lily Evans didn't belong in the grubby town, she had too much passion and curiosity to be content in a town where such spirits tended to be crushed.

Lily Evans wasn't _just_ a normal girl, weird occurrences happened around her causing kids in her year to tease the redhead—those children would later end up regretting it when the passionate firecracker exploded. Her parents worried for their daughter, wondering if she'd find her place in life, but she seemed content enough with her sister.

Severus Tobias Snape was almost the complete opposite of Lily Evans. He was his father's mistake. His mother's failure as a pure-blood. An only child, burning in the ruins of Spinner's End, no one thought that he didn't belong in the tarnished town. He could be passionate, and he was curious—something that would later on lead to more than one quarrel; yet it was no match to the emerald-eyed girl. Severus Snape wasn't loved by anyone, he felt tolerated by his mother and hated by his father. The Muggle children _loved_ to poke fun at the poor Snape boy. Weird things tended to happen around him too.

They were magic, true magic. Lily Evans was drawn to pure magic. Severus Snape was drawn to pure magic as well (any magic was good magic), but his love would always be drawn to the Dark Arts.

—

 _ **Part III: Lily vs. Severus, Spinner's End vs. Endor Drive**_

" **We're Going To Be Friends," The White Stripes**

—

 _1964_

Lily Evans sat on her father's lap as he retold his day's activities to Petunia and her. Her mother was in the kitchen preparing dinner.

"The lad tackled me, but I put up a fair fight." Little Lily gasped as her father had expected her to. Petunia gave her sister the look that meant she wasn't supposed to interrupt their father. Charles Evans just laughed, "Yes, knocked a few of his teeth out, I did."

"Isn't that mean?" she asked her father softly.

"He was trying to get away after stabbing someone, Lil."

"He sounds mean," she said snuggling closer to her father. "Continue," she yawned.

"The kid was from Spinner's End, his parents didn't even seem to know he was out."

"Dinner's ready, loves." Lily jumped off her father's lap and ran towards her mum's voice.

"Lily, mummy and daddy told you not to run in the house," six-year-old Petunia* said following after her younger sister.

"But it's fun." the four-year-old argued, "And it was only mummy who said I couldn't run in the house."

The evening passed well with giggles from Lily as she watched her parents flirt like teenagers. Lily loved how silly her parents acted, Petunia said she wanted to marry a rich, handsome prince. Lily wanted to marry someone funny and romantic, someone who would love her like her dad loved her mum.

—

His mum and dad were fighting again. He saw his father aiming a dish at his mother's head and saw his mother duck, it missed her by an inch.

"What the bloody hell do you mean he's a _wizard_?" Tobias shouted, his sullen face turning red in the process. "Are you _mad_? They don't exist."

His mother was cowering at his father's look as Severus sat crying in the corner. He was a child, how was he to understand any of this?

"I'm a witch. Severus is a wizard, a half-blood." Eileen managed to get out before Tobias had hit her. It was Severus's fault, if he hadn't accidently done magic in front of his father they wouldn't be in this situation. "Mummy?" he dared say after his father had stormed out the room in search of another beer.

"I'm fine, Severus," her tone indicated that it was anything but.

—

It was a week before Christmas, and Lily was helping Petunia decorate the Christmas tree their father had gone out to cut with a friend from work. Lily eyed the fairy lights on the ground with longing; she adored watching the fairy lights, it made her happy. Cokeworth wasn't a bright town, it was dark and sometimes it scared her—even if she did live on one of the nicer streets. Her mum thought it was beautiful, maybe Lily just couldn't see it yet; Petunia didn't like Cokeworth much either.

"Lily," her sister said in the voice she usually used when lecturing her younger sister, "stop staring at the fairy lights. Mummy wants us to finish before daddy gets home."

"All right," she consented picking up the blue tinsel from the box next to her sister. "What did you ask Father Christmas for?" she asked as she twirled the tinsel in her hands before placing it around the tree.

"A new doll, a necklace I saw when we went to the store with mummy, and new dresses." Petunia had already begun adding the baubles to the tree—Lily's favourite was the was the one with the reindeer on it. "Did you write your list yet?"

"Yes, Tuney," she asked knowing her sister tended to lecture her when she left things to the last minute. "I asked for a book I saw when I went to the bookstore with daddy, and I also asked for another of the Beatles's records."

"You're in love with them, aren't you?" Petunia giggled at Lily's pout.

"Perhaps," Lily admitted.

—

On Spinner's End, Severus Snape hid away in the dump that was his bedroom. They were at it again, it seemed that all they did recently was fight. Severus would cry himself to sleep some nights from the yelling.

He heard his door creak and prayed that it wasn't his father. It wasn't, his mother stepped into the dark room. Eileen Snape was a thin, sallow-faced, sour-looking woman. She rarely smiled and when she did it was always forced.

His mother wasn't the maternal kind, not really; Eileen was selfish and a coward, but she was his mother. His father was selfish and a coward too, but Severus had stopped hoping that Tobias Snape would care about anything but his bloody liquor and what was for dinner that night.

"Did we keep you up?" she asked.

Severus shrugged, dismissing any sort of apology his mother could offer, "Why are you with him?"

"Severus, it's more complicated than you would think, maybe one day you'll understand." He sighed, "I rather be alone, mum." His mum nodded and wished him a Happy Christmas. Severus didn't much like other people's company; he felt more alone surrounded by people than when he was actually alone. The Muggle children tended to pick on him, shoving him around the playground. He wished he had another wizarding friend.

—

 _1965_

She was dancing to _Twist and Shout_. Her dad was laughing at her, singing at the top of his voice, "You know you twist your little girl. Twist, little girl. You know you twist so fine. Twist so fine. Come on and twist a little closer, now. Twist a little closer. And let me know that you're mine. Let me know you're mine." He twirled her mum, who was trying not to giggle. "Come join in on the fun, Pet." He called to the blonde-haired seven-year-old.

"No, thank you, daddy. It seems a bit silly." her lips said no, but Lily could tell she just prefered to watch them act like the barmy people they were.

"Please, Tuney," she called to her sister, extending her hand. Petunia looked at it warily before giving in, "Oh, all right, Lily." Lily grinned, proceeding to show Petunia exactly how to twist as her sister giggled beside her, as happy as any sisters should be.

—

He was running, running fast as he could as his father chased after him drunk. He shouldn't be afraid; Severus was the wizard not him, he was just a Muggle.

"Get back here, boy," his words were slurred. The only good thing about being small was his ability to duck and hide away. He didn't think his father noticed him slip into the cupboard, he sat there shaking until his mother came back home from the store—she had only gone out to buy ingredients for dinner.

"Oh, Severus," said his mother soon after finding him. All he could do was bite his lips in his attempt to not cry, but he couldn't help it; he cried.

—

They were in Tuney's room, playing with the dolls they had received last Christmas. Petunia was making sure her doll looked presentable, Lily didn't much care—she thought that her doll had character. Her sister's room was bigger and neater than her own and painted lavender while Lily's room had a pretty green wallpaper adorned with trails of flowers. Lily kept posters and pictures on her wall while Petunia kept hers bare except for the notice board by her desk.

"Does he have to be rich?" Lily questioned on the recurring topic of husbands.

"Yes," the young Petunia said, "Everyone knows a real Prince Charming is rich* and handsome."

"How handsome?" She asked.

"Tall with dark hair and beautiful eyes." She all but swooned.

"Do you think I'll meet Prince Charming?" Lily asked hesitantly.

"Of course, and we can have a double wedding and live next door to each other. I want a spring wedding." Lily would rather get married in the summer or fall, but she would go along with a spring wedding if it made Petunia happy.

—

It was September when Lily began the primary school a few blocks from her house. She was excited and sad to finally be able to go to school. On the downside, she couldn't spend alone time with her mum and dad anymore, but she got to go to school with her sister who was entering her third year.

Five weeks passed by and Lily noticed an increase in strange occurrences happening around her. At first she told herself that she was just forgetful—she couldn't possibly be making things disappear, there was an explanation. Things happened when she was upset, it seemed like there would be sparks.

She remembered when her mum had taken away her stuffed bunny in order to wash him and she had been unable to sleep the night prior. The next morning, Lily had been so upset that she had been glaring at the glass cake cover absentmindedly before it seemed to erupt—little pieces of glass surrounded the room.* She didn't know why it happened, or if it was a huge coincidence but she cried into her mother's arms anyways, frightened.

Today, she had unfortunately contracted a case of the hiccups. They weren't normal hiccups, however. Her professor had been shooting her looks for the last ten minutes, unsure if she could punish Lily for something that was not her fault. Lily had only ever been punished twice with the ruler over her knuckles, both times were not necessarily her fault. The first time, a boy named Timmy had made fun of her hair—he told her gingers didn't have souls; it wasn't her fault that his hair had turned a nasty shade of red next, she hadn't dyed his hair. The second time, a girl named Natalie had been been making fun of Lily's new friend Anna.* It had upset Lily to see her friend in such a state of distress—it wasn't Anna's fault her family didn't have as much money as Natalie's; when Natalie came back from break* crying that her uniform had been turned as dirty as she indicated Natalie to be. The professor had, of course, blamed Lily after hearing Natalie's side of things.

Back to the hiccups, Lily had begun hiccuping twenty minutes after class had begun. But the hiccups weren't regular hiccups, pink bubbles had escaped her mouth every time a "hic" was uttered—bubbles that started filling the classroom and wouldn't explode. Eventually, the professor forced her out the classroom and into the nurse's office where her mum was called to pick her up. It's not like Lily meant to start hiccuping and start a disturbance, it wasn't her fault.

—

Severus's mum homeschooled him. She had decided that she wouldn't allow Severus to make her mistake and associate with Muggles; she said they would only hurt him. His father didn't even seem to realise that he wasn't attending Muggle school—he supposed it saved his father money that could be wasted on rum.

It was the fourth week in October, less than two before Hallowe'en when the Muggle children would all be dressing up as witches and wizards and monsters they had no clue really existed. How naive of them; he was just happy that meant the Muggle boys would have less time to torment him. If only they knew what he really was, then they'd be scared.

—

It was Hallowe'en, Lily's favourite holiday after Christmas. She loved going around her neighbourhood and knocking on the door where people just handed out free candy! She adored watching the adults bob for apples at the parties her parents would sometimes take her and Tuney to.

This year was Lily's favourite costume yet. She was a witch; she had on a black and green dress with a pointy hat on top of her head. Her mum had bought her a little broom for her to carry around and she was wearing striped black and green socks and black shoes that looked similar to the ruby red slippers from _The Wizard of Oz_.

Petunia had decided that she wanted to be a princess—again. She wanted to be a princess because she said it was the only way she'd ever find her prince. Lily thought that was silly but refrained from telling her sister so in fear of hurting her feelings.

"You look beautiful, Tuney," said Lily as she saw her blonde-haired, blue-eyed sister wearing a pretty blue dress and tiara.

Petunia smiled as their father walked into the rooms, "As do you, my beloved peasant," she teased lightly. "Have thou cast any spells on any handsome princes?"*

Lily giggled, "No, Princess Petunia." Charles grinned at his daughters before picking up the redhead. "Are the princess and the witch ready to leave in search of sweets?"

Before either Lily or Petunia could open their mouths, Rosalie Evans sauntered over, moving her auburn hair over her shoulder and focusing her blue eyes on her family, "Not before a picture, they aren't." They laughed and prepared themselves for another one of their mother's long photography sessions.

—

 _1966_

"Happy birthday, Severus," his mother said tiredly that day. She had a handprint on her face. Severus frowned; being six didn't feel any different from being five, his parents still argued.

"My birthday was yesterday." Severus said sadly. His mum looked shocked, how did the woman who gave birth to you forget when that occurred? Severus didn't think childbirth was an easy affair.

"I got you a present," she whispered softly. She went to the cupboard down the hall and opened it quietly. She held out a worn book. Severus looked at the title, _Potions Making for Beginners_. "You seemed interested in the potions in the books on the shelves, I thought maybe you'd like your own." Eileen seemed nervous as she spoke.

"Thank you," said Severus.

"Just don't show your father."

—

"Happy birthday, Lilybug," her father said picking her up from the stairs and swinging her around. Lily giggled into the crock of her dad's neck, "Daddy!"

"Listen," he told her pointing towards the kitchen. She didn't know what he meant until she heard a familiar tune, "She's humming _I Want to Hold Your Hand_ ," he said adoringly. She smiled at her dad's lovestruck look as he gently placed her back on the ground.

"Lily!" She heard her sister say from the table, "Happy sixth birthday." She handed Lily a birthday card as she approached, it was pink with glitter; Lily loved it.

"Thank you, Tuney," Lily gave her sister a quick hug as her mother entered the room with pancakes.

"Happy birthday, love," her mother said. Lily sat down next to her sister feeling like the luckiest person ever because she was loved.

—

It was her sister's birthday today, February the nineteenth and she was turning eight. Lily had spent the last two days trying to figure out what to get her sister with the money her mummy and daddy had given her for the occasion. She had decided on getting Petunia a pretty, light blue teardrop necklace; it was a bit more than Lily had been given but after a bit of begging and pouting, Lily had been able to convince them to give her fifteen extra pounds. Petunia was worth it, she had told them.

Petunia and she had tea party with their parents. Petunia tried to make the tea, but it ended up being a bit too strong and simply tasting like really hot dishwater. Lily and her parents still drank the water as if it were the best refreshment in the world. Their mum had made them chocolate chip biscuits that almost melted in your mouth.

"Lily," Petunia said in shock as she opened her gifts. "This is so pretty," she gasped.

"You deserve it, it reminded me of you." Petunia engulfed her into a hug with tears in her eyes, "You're my best friend, Lily." Lily laughed at her sister, because they were each other's best friend.

—

Mother's Day came to pass in March* that year. Lily and Petunia helped their father make their mum breakfast in bed—pancakes and eggs and buttered toast and anything else that occurred to them. They watched their father serenade their mother with songs by The Beatles, her mother's favourite band.* They looked so happy together, like two people who just belonged together forever. Lily turned to Petunia and saw her sister staring at her parents as well.

"I want that," whispered Petunia adoringly.

"Me too," Lily replied.

—

Severus liked the meaning behind potions, it was something he could control. As long as he had the right ingredients and did the right enchantments at the end, everything could turn out well. He read a few of the books his mother kept hidden from his father about the theory behind the potions. He was in control, and no one would take that from him. He was a Prince, his mother had said. He had come from a prominent pure-blood family, something no Muggle would ever be able to mock him for.

—

 _1967_

She sat on her father's lap as he continued to read to Tuney and her about Alice's adventures. Lily giggled at the chaos Alice managed to get into while Petunia stared questioningly at their father wondering, she knew, why Alice was _allowed_ to get into such chaos.

"Pet," her father said, "everything isn't always logical. Sometimes, the weirdest events have the simplest answers, just not ones that we would ever have guessed." He looked down at the redhead who tucked herself into his side as if wondering what simple answers lied inside her. Her father yawned, "That's enough for tonight, girls." He got up, sitting Lily in his vacant chair before placing the book on the highest shelf—out of the reach of his daughters. Lily pouted as her father and sister made their way out of the living room. She looked around to make sure she was alone before standing up and going towards the shelf. She tried jumping up and down in order to get it, hoping that she would gain enough height to knock it down. She was getting frustrated, she wanted the book back. Her stubbornness would not allow her to give up. She kept jumping until she suddenly felt lighter and was able to grab the book.

"Lily!" She heard a voice behind her, she panicked and felt the wind blown out of her as she fell to the floor; she hadn't realised her feet were no longer on the floor. "Are you okay?" Her father asked her, placing a kiss on the top of her head.

"Yes, daddy, I just wanted the book." Her father laughed in relief. "What will I ever do with you, my darling?"

"Buy me a unicorn?" she replied cheekily.

—

Severus was playing on the swings by himself that day, his parents had been fighting again, it was getting aggressive. He couldn't stand it without feeling the need to cry; he was tired of crying.

"Why, if it isn't the Snape boy," he heard the voice of one of his Muggle neighbours. The boys were ganging up on him, he felt panicked, trapped. "Are you going to cry back to your mummy with her ugly face, it's a wonder you were even born." The boy continued as his friends laughed behind him.

"Leave me alone," said Severus.

"Why, you have nothing better to do." His dark hair and smirk made him seem like the devil to Severus. "Going to go to your drunken father?" The boys looked to be at least two years older than Severus himself, he knew he couldn't take them the Muggle way.

"You're an idiot," Severus replied, feeling his anger rising. "You're a nobody."

The Muggle shoved him off the swings, causing Severus to fall in the mud. "At least I don't wear my parents' old clothes," he said eyeing his shirt.

His temper had risen, the swings were swinging faster and faster losing control. The wind was going faster, the dirt swinging around like a tornado. "What the bloody hell?" asked one of the boy's companions.

"Let's get out of here," the other one said scared. They went away, leaving a stunned Severus; he refused to submit to the Muggles.

—

 _Summer 1968_

Lily had grown to expect weird events to happen around her, in a way it made her feel safe—at home. Tuney didn't quite understand why these occurrences happened nor did her parents. The children at her school had begun bullying her the year prior; they said she was cursed and would say she probably had the mark of the devil because of her red hair. Yet it didn't seem like a curse, or not one meant, for her. Everything that had happened was when she felt the most—when she was angry or sad or happy. She had learned that whenever she was too upset things would explode; when she was sad she would begin to hiccup bubbles.

Whatever it was that she was able to do would protect Lily, and for that she didn't wish it away. She didn't really have friends anymore, except for Anna and even she was reluctant to hang out with Lily nowadays. She was glad she had Petunia, she at least would never abandon Lily no matter how weird she thought Lily's gifts were—they were best friends.

—

It was late summer when he first saw her. She was with the blonde girl who usually came to the park with an auburn haired woman. The redheaded girl seemed to be his age, but that wasn't what had first drawn attention to the girl. Severus felt like he could almost feel her magic within himself; she was beautiful, yes, but she was magic. She was like him, not like those Muggles who would only hold her back. He didn't believe it at first that someone born to _Muggles_ could produce magic in this tarnished town.

It was a simple act that led him to the discovery of her status. He had been bored and hiding from the bullies—and everyone else if he were being honest with himself. She had been playing with the blonde girl who he assumed to be her sister, the small red-haired girl seemed content even as the older (and far less beautiful in his mind) of the two bossed her around—as if she should even be allowed to breathe the same air as the other. Their mother was sitting on a bench a little while away watching the two. He was in the bushes as they decided to play on the swings. There was nothing unusual occurring if you weren't paying too much attention, but he noticed something rather odd. It was raining at the moment, yet in the spot where the two girls sat swinging, rain didn't seem to hit them. However, the moment the redhead stood up from her swing, the water began to fall back on the swings.*

—

He had watched her for the rest of summer and saw small signs of magic, from the way flowers would act when she was upset to the way she could somehow levitate herself slightly off the ground when she tried really hard, but he could tell it strained her when she tried to control it. He continued to watch her in the fall whenever he caught a glimpse of her in the park, but she was always with someone—he could never catch her alone like he so desired. It irritated him that those less inferior than himself* could talk to her when he couldn't. It wouldn't be long, he vowed, before she would befriend him.

—

 _Summer 1969_

Lily had discovered something in her experimentation with her gifts—because that's the only thing they could be. She could control it, she really could when she tried—it was like a pull within her when she did it, like her blood sensed whatever it was that made her exhibit these talents. She knew she could control it before, but this was different somehow.

She was swinging higher again in the park, higher and higher. She loved the feeling of being in the air, it felt like she was free—like she could fly. She let go of the swing on an instinct and gone flying—she should have panicked but part of her felt invincible. Instead of falling harshly on the ground she stood in the air for a moment as if time stood still, and then lightly touched the ground.

"LILY EVANS!" Her mother screamed in fright. She should have expected that from her mother.

"Are you okay?" Petunia asked not even bothering to show her disapproval in her worry. Lily nodded giggling, "That was fun," she decided.

"Under no circumstances are you allowed to do that again, Lily? Do you understand?" Rosalie Evans lectured.

"Yes, mum," she begrudgingly agreed but her fingers were crossed behind her back.

At home, Lily received another lecture from her father once he was informed of Lily's crime before he pulled her into a big hug that expressed how worried he was about her. Lily plucked a flower from one of her mum's pots as she passed to go to her room to sulk. She looked at the flower critically before placing it in her palm. She concentrated on happy thoughts, so she wouldn't destroy anything in her state. She watched as the petals opened and closed repeatedly. It was pretty, she giggled. She would have to practice before showing Petunia.

—

It was a sunny day in the melancholy town of Cokeworth, the Evans sisters decided to take advantage of the sunny day and head to the playground. There the two girls swung backwards and forwards, unknown to them Severus Snape watched them—or rather the redhead he had grown to distantly admire—from behind a clump of bushes. His black hair had grown too long over the summer and was in need of a haircut, his clothes didn't match. He wore jeans that had long outgrown him, a worn out coat that belonged to his father, and a smocklike shirt to end the already bizarre combination—not to mention his mangy trainers. None of it mattered to Severus as he watched the apple of his eyes with intensity, drinking her in greedily; her red hair all but dancing in tune with the sun.

"Lily, don't do it!" shrieked the blonde as her younger sister let go of the swing at the height of its arc and flew into the air, laughing joyfully. Severus watched as the girl floated through the air, hovering there for a moment longer than she should have before she landed lightly onto the ground.

"Mummy told you not to!" Petunia reminded her sister in an assertive tone that she used when reminding her she was in charge of her as her elder. She stopped her swing the normal way, by dragging the heels of her sandals on the ground, making an unpleasant crunching, grinding sound, then she leapt up placing her hands on hips—like a professor about to scold her pupil.

"Mummy said you weren't allowed, Lily!"

"But I'm fine," Lily reminded her, still maintaining her giggles. "Tuney, look at this. Watch what I can do."

Petunia glanced around making sure no one was there to watch what she was sure were more of Lily's tricks; it appeared empty, so she watched as Lily had picked up a fallen flower from a nearby bush. Petunia stepped closer to her sister, although she disapproved of her sister's insistence to do odd things, she couldn't help but be curious. Once Petunia was close enough to see, Lily held out her palm where the flower lied, opening and closing its petals.

"Stop it!" Petunia said as if Lily had burnt her.

"It's not hurting you," Lily said but closed her hand on the blossom before throwing it back to the ground.

"It's not right," Petunia told her sister, yet her eyes followed the flower's descent and let her gaze remain on it. "How do you do it?" she asked trying and failing to hide the longing she felt.

"It's obvious, isn't it?"

—

 _ **Part IV: Lily and Severus, Friendships Made and Lost**_

" **Color," The Maine**

—

Lily watched the boy who seemed as if he's been holding that in for a long time and just about exploded as he jumped out from behind the bushed Lily had gathered the flower. Petunia screamed before running back towards the swings they had recently vacated. Lily, although shocked, stood her ground, observing the nine-year-old. The boy's sallow cheeks became slightly pink as he gazed at her, as if he'd been caught with his hand in the biscuit jar.

"What's obvious?" questioned Lily.

He had that that look of someone about to explode again. He glanced at her sister before lowering his voice and saying, "I know what you are."

"What do you mean?"

"You're . . . you're a witch," he whispered.

She was offended, who was this boy to call her names—she had enough of that at school, " _That's_ not a very nice thing to say to somebody!" she screamed at him.

She turned around, head held high, and stalked back over towards Petunia. "No!" he cried. He was extremely flushed as he chased after Lily. They watched him with disapproval, each holding onto a swing pole as if it would protect them from the barmy boy.

"You _are,_ " said Snape to Lily, trying to convince her. "You _are_ a witch. I've been watching you for a while. But there's nothing wrong with that. My mum's one, and I'm a wizard." Petunia laughed coldly.

"Wizard!" she said in disbelief. " _I_ know who _you_ are. You're that Snape boy! They live down Spinner's End by the river," she told her sister, remembering her mother's warnings. Spinner's End was a poverty-filled street whose residents their father had warned them of. "Why have you been spying on us?"

"Haven't been spying," he uttered, "Wouldn't spy on _you,_ anyway," he spoke the words maliciously, " _you're_ a Muggle." He spoke the words as if it were the worse thing someone could be.

"Lily, come on, we're leaving!" she commanded. Lily followed her sister without hesitance, glaring at dark-haired boy as they departed. His eyes followed them as they stormed off through the gate not seeing Severus's disappointment.

—

Lily stared at the posters on her wall, trying to understand what the Snape boy had revealed to Petunia and her that afternoon. Witches and wizards weren't supposed to be real, they were something you dressed up for on Hallowe'en or read about in a book; they weren't real. Yet she knew that was the only explanation for the weird events, but what if he was lying. Her head hurt as she pondered this. If he was lying, she'd have gotten her hopes up only to have them shattered.

—

The next day, Severus returned to the playground hoping to make things better with Lily. To his delight, she seemed to be waiting for him.

"Is it true," she asked almost scared that he would tell her no world with magic in it existed.

"It's real." he said quietly.

"Tell me about it," she said eagerly.

"Well, there are four houses…" he began before diving into the world that was Hogwarts.

—

"Why must you hang out with him, Lily?" her sister uttered annoyed as Lily prepared for another day of hanging out with Severus. "I told you you could join us, Tuney." she said almost pleading for Petunia to do so. "He's explaining magic to me."

"It's not real," Petunia said stubbornly, "It's a load of rubbish, he's lying to you. I mean have you ever heard of a Hogwarts?" Her sister asked her crossed.

"Well no but…"

"How do you know it's real then?" she said before storming off.

—

Severus and Lily sat on the ground, facing each other with their legs crossed. They were near the river by Severus's house considering her sister didn't much like Severus.

". . . and the Ministry can punish you if you do magic outside school, you get letters." he explained.

"But I _have_ done magic outside school!" Lily's face showed her panic as if she expected them to come for her at that moment.

"We're all right. We haven't got wands yet. They let you off when you're a kid and you can't help it. But once you're eleven," he nodded importantly, he hoped to impress her. After all, who else would tell her about real magic? "And they start training you, then you've got to go careful."

Silence. Lily picked up a twig that must have fallen from one of the trees and twirled it in the air, imagining it was a real wand with sparks trailing from it—imagining she could cast any spell she wanted from it. She dropped the twig suddenly and leaned towards Severus almost pleading when she asked, "It _is_ real, isn't it? It's not a joke? Petunia says you're lying to me. Petunia says there isn't a Hogwarts. It _is_ real, isn't it?"

"It's real for us," said Severus. "Not for her. But we'll get the letter, you and me."

"Really?" whispered Lily.

"Definitely," he said as Lily watched him in wonder for a moment.

"And will it really come by owl?" Lily whispered as if she could hardly believe it.

"Normally," Severus said casually. "But you're Muggle-born, so someone from the school will have to come and explain to your parents."

"Does it make a difference, being Muggle-born?"

He hesitated knowing the real answer as his mother had explained it before and Severus himself believed; they don't have a real place in their world, if Muggles that could produce people like his father were the same ones who produced Muggle-borns than he didn't much care for them. His eyes drank her in, moving from her excited greenish eyes to her pale face, and lastly to the dark red hair he wished he could play with.

"No," he lied; he decided that _she_ was different. "It doesn't make any difference."

"Good," said Lily, relaxing into herself.

"You've got loads of magic," he said reassuringly. "I saw that. All the time I was watching you . . ." His words trailed off as he noticed she wasn't listening, but had stretched out on the leaf-filled ground and was looking at the leaves overhead. He watched her as he always did, wishing he could commit her to memory.

"How are things at your house?" Lily asked trying to make her voice gentler.

"Fine," he said not wishing to speak of it. Lily had heard his parents arguing when she had got near the house weeks prior and had asked him about it. Her eyes made him cave.

"They're not arguing anymore?" she pushed.

"Oh yes, they're arguing," he said as he took a fistful of leaves and began to tear them absentmindedly. "But it won't be that long and I'll be gone."

"Doesn't your dad like magic?" she questioned.

"He doesn't like anything, much," Severus said sadly, the marks on his armed proved that. All he liked was rum.

"Severus?" she said softly.

A little smile formed on his face when he heard his name escape her. "Yeah?"

"Tell me about the dementors again." she said trying to relieve him of his sadness.

"What d'you want to know about them for?"

"If I use magic outside school —"

"They wouldn't give you to the dementors for that! Dementors are for people who do really bad stuff. They guard the wizard prison, Azkaban. You're not going to end up in Azkaban, you're too —" _Good, beautiful, lovely, Lily._ He blushed and tore more leaves in hopes of her forgetting what he might've said. A small rustling sound caught Lily's attention. Severus turned to see Lily's sister hiding behind a tree.

"Tuney!" said Lily, shocked but happy that her sister had come, but Snape had jumped to his feet at the intrusion of the Muggle.

"Who's spying now?" he shouted angrily. "What d'you want?"

She was breathless and humiliated at being caught spying on what she considered a lowlife, her sister could do better than him for company. "What is that you're wearing, anyway?" she said trying to deflate attention from herself. "Your mum's blouse?"

There was a cracking sound as branch caught Petunia on the shoulder, and she wobbled backwards, bursting into tears.

"Tuney!" Lily called, but her words were lost as her sister ran away, presumably toward their house. Lily turned on Severus, accusations in her eyes. "Did you make that happen?" she demanded.

"No." His face showed defiance and fear—he didn't want to lose her..

"You did!" She was stepping back. "You _did_! You hurt her!" she was angry that he could do that to her sister.

"No — no I didn't!" Lily wasn't convinced. After giving him her dirtiest look, she ran from the little thicket and after her sister, leaving Severus looking miserable and wondering if they were still friends.

—

"Petunia, talk to me, please?" Lily begged as she ran after her.

"What happened?" Charles asked as he saw his daughters enter the house.

"The Snape boy made a branch fall on my shoulder." Petunia said crying into her father's chest. "He did it on purpose."

"Lily, is this true?" her father asked sternly as he checked Petunia's shoulder—she whimpered each time he touched it.

"I don't think he meant to." she said hesitantly, even after arguing with him over this she wanted to defend him. "I'm sure he's sorry." Petunia scoffed.

"Lily," her dad said.

"Don't, please, he's my friend—even when I'm mad at him." Her father sighed, frustrated.

—

"Friends?" Severus asked as he saw Lily approach him.

"Best friends," she confirmed. After a week of avoiding him and attempting to reconcile with Petunia, she thought she had enough. "She's mad at me, you know?"

"She's just a Muggle, Lily." Lily's eyes blazed up. "She's my sister; my whole family are Muggles, and I love them, Sev."

He shrugged before changing the topic.

—

Severus began reading to read further into the Dark Arts books his mother kept under lock. He had been studying the theories behind it for weeks, looking up spells. He wouldn't be afraid anymore, they were just Muggles who weren't worth his time.

He liked looking at the hexes and curses as well. He knew he would need them one day, he wouldn't be weak anymore; he was no longer that crying little boy. He was a wizard, a half-blood.

—

 _1970_

Sometimes she wish that she hadn't found out about being a witch. Petunia was still mad at her, her parents were happy for her but didn't seem to know what it meant. She felt like an outside, but she had Severus. Her dad didn't like Lily spending time with Severus since the accident with Petunia occurred—it was an accident, Severus would never hurt Petunia on purpose, she repeated to herself.

"Do you want to play dolls with me, Tuney?" Lily asked her sister, hoping that she would accept the offer.

"No, go play with the Snape boy, you like him better anyways." Petunia said passing her sister, "I'm going to Eliza's house."

"Oh…" she said sadly.

—

Severus watched Lily, she was quiet today. "Are you okay, Lily?"

"Petunia's mad at me, she doesn't want to play with me anymore. We used to be so close." She sounded on the verge of crying.

"She's just a…"

"Don't say Muggle, she's my sister, Sev. We were best friends!"

"But now you're my best friend," he frowned, he didn't like the idea of sharing Lily—especially not with some Muggle as mundane as Petunia Evans.

"I can have more than one best friend," he wanted to argue with her but decided to change the topic instead.

—

She grabbed the book from Severus. She gasped as she saw the picture, the body was covered in cuts. In another, the body was covered in purple bruises. She whimpered, "Why are you looking at these spells, Severus?"

"I'm just curious, Lily, the only way to get better at magic is to know all the types of magic there are." He didn't know why he lied to her, but the look on her face told him she would not appreciate his research into the Dark Arts, or anything that seemed harmful. Lily was too pure he sometimes found himself thinking. But she would someday love him, of that he was sure.

—

 _1971_

"Does Petunia hate me?" asked Lily.

"Of course she doesn't," Rosalie replied to her daughter.

"I think she does." the girl replied sadly.

"Give her time," was all the mother said.

—

"Happy birthday, Sev." Lily said hugging him, Lily's touch was gentle—it was the only one he didn't flinch at.

"Did your parents do anything for you?" she asked.

"I don't think my father remembers, mum got me another potions book," he replied.

"Oh…" she looked pensive, "want to go to my house and listen to the Beatles or watch _Doctor Who_ , I adore Jon Pertwee as the doctor." Severus agreed, he wasn't very fond of those Muggle aspects, but he was very fond of Lily.

—

He gave her a flower, "happy birthday," he said shyly. She smiled before dragging him over to her house for cake. He liked spending time with Lily, but he felt weird at the Evanses. He knew they didn't approve of him after the incident with Lily's sister; it bothered him slightly, but they weren't special.

—

This is the year they'd go to Hogwarts, he was happy to get away from here, to get away from his family and hers. They would be sorted together into Slytherin—like the Princes had been—and before long she would be falling for him as he had for her.

"You're going to be a Slytherin," he told her in that early March day.

"What are the other houses again?" she asked him.

He didn't think she'd need to occupy her time with them but consented the information.

"Hufflepuffs, they're the house where those who don't belong in any of the other ones go; they're pushovers as well. Ravenclaws is where those who think they're too smart for the rest go; a bit annoying. The worse of the lot is Gryffindor, that's the house where brainless berks go; they think it's more important to be strong than anything else."*

"Are you sure I'll be in Slytherin?" she asked.

"Of course, you're too smart to be in any of the other houses, Lily."

—

An owl was outside his bedroom window. He felt an excitement as he pulled the window open and collected his letter.

Mr S. Snape

The Second Bedroom

9 Spinner's End

Cokeworth

Nottinghamshire

He read his letter before a smile appeared on his face, he was finally leaving Cokeworth.

—

Lily Evans was in the living room when she heard the sound of a car backing up. She thought nothing of it until she heard the sound of a doorbell ringing and her mother walking towards it. Petunia was on her other side, pretending Lily wasn't there. Lily sighed.

"Hello, can I help you?" she heard her mother ask.

"I'm looking for a Lily Evans," she heard a female voice say. Lily stood up from the table, walking towards the living room.

"Hello," the redhead said.

In front of her stood a black-haired lady who seemed to be in her mid-thirties, she had a stern look to her that said she was not someone to fool around with.

"I'm Professor McGonagall," she introduced herself, "I am here from a special school for special children, may I enter?" she asked.

"You're from Hogwarts?" Lily gasped.

The professor gave her a weird look before nodding, "You are a Muggle-born, are you not?"

"Yes, but my best friend's mum is a witch, he's going to Hogwarts too."

She turned back towards Lily's mother, "Your daughter is a witch, Hogwarts is a school that educates young witches and wizards in order to help control their magical abilities." Rosalie looked at Lily with a smile on her face, "Lily has always been able to do the most extraordinary things," she heard the pride in her voice.

"Many young witches and wizards are able to perform accidental magic." Professor Mcgonagall replied.

"Hogwarts is located in Scotland, a train will depart from King's Cross on September first at eleven o'clock sharp. The students are sorted into their houses and share a common room with the students of their house. The boys and girl have separate dormitories, the girls' dormitories have special protection against boys from entering. Hogwarts is a safe environment which will help Miss Lily Evans succeed."

"Do they have breaks for holidays?" her mother asked.

"Two weeks for Christmas, one for Easter, and they depart again in late June."

"I am the Head of Gryffindor House and am the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts. On September first, Miss Evans is to walk between barriers nine and ten and board the Hogwarts Express before eleven. You can purchase all of her supplies in Diagon Alley."

"Diagon Alley?" her mother looked confused.

"It's a place where our kind goes to shop. It's located in London on Charing Cross Road through the Leaky Cauldron, in between a bookshop and music store. Miss Evans is the only one who will be able to see, so it would be wise to follow her lead to find the pub. Once inside the pub, ask for Tom and tell him you are there on behalf of Hogwarts and he will know what to do." she paused as she watched Rosalie nod, "Usually we have our first years respond by owl but seeing as Lily is a Muggle-born, we ask in person. Would you like for Lily to attend Hogwarts?"

Rosalie turned to her daughter, "Would you like that, Lily?"

Lily nodded excitedly, "Of course, mum, it's Hogwarts!"

"She'll go to Hogwarts," Rosalie said amazed.

Professor Mcgonagall asked them if they had anymore questions to which they said no, "I shall get going then, I have a few more houses to visit today."

"Of course," Rosalie smiled.

"This is everything you need to know," she said handing Lily an envelope. "I shall see you on September first." A second later, Lily heard a cracking sound, and she was gone.

She looked at the front of the envelope. Written in green ink that matched her eyes, it read:

Ms L. Evans

The Living Room

5 Endor Drive

Cokeworth

Nottinghamshire

She broke the purple seal that bore a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake with an H in the middle. She took out the parchment Severus had told her wizards used to write on, unlike Muggles.

 _HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF_

 _WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY_

 _Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore_

 _(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc.,_

 _Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump,_

 _International Confed. Of Wizards)_

 _Dear Ms Evans,_

 _We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

 _Term begins on 1 September._

 _Yours sincerely,_

 _Minerva McGonagall_

 _Deputy Headmistress_

She looked at the other sheet:

 _HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF_

 _WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY_

Uniform

 _First-year students will require:_

 _Three sets of plain work robes (black)_

 _One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear_

 _One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)_

 _One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)_

 _Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags_

Set Books

 _All students should have a copy of each of the following:_

The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) _by Miranda Goshawk_

A History of Magic _by Bathilda Bagshot_

Magic Theory _by Adalbert Waffling_

A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration _by Emeric Switch_

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi _by Phyllida Spore_

Magical Drafts and Potions _by Arsenius Jigger_

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them _by Newt Scamander_

Defence Against the Dark Arts: A Beginner's Guide _by Gertrude Aberdeen_

Other Equipment

 _1 wand_

 _1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)_

 _1 set glass or crystal phials_

 _1 telescope_

 _1 set brass scales_

 _Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad_

 _PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS._

 _Hogwarts_ , she thought. She'd be there in two months. Little did she know that her sister was hoping for the same thing.

—

"What do you want to do?" she asked Severus as they entered her house. "We can go watch the telly, listen to records, we can…"

"Can we go to your room?" he cut her off as he saw her mother in the kitchen. "Of course," she said and began climbing up the stairs. They had to pass Petunia's room to get to Lily's.

As Lily made to shut Petunia's door, Severus stopped her having noticed a familiar envelope made of yellowish parchment on the bed, he'd recognize it anywhere. _The Muggle must be nicking Lily's belongings_ , he thought.

"What is it, Sev?" she asked as he stepped in Petunia's room. "We shouldn't be in here." she said as he took something off her sister's bed.

He read the letter and couldn't believe his eyes, in green ink was written:

Ms P. Evans

Upstairs, First Bedroom on the Right

5 Endor Drive

Cokeworth

Nottinghamshire

"I can't believe it," he said as he read who it was from, "It's from Albus Dumbledore."

"Give it here, Sev," she said, placing her hands on her hips. He handed her the parchment reluctantly.

"Lily, don't you want to know why he's writing to your sister in the first place? It could be about you for all we know."

Lily bit her lips softly. "All right."

 _Dear Ms Evans,_

 _I was intrigued to receive this letter as I do not usually receive letters with stamps on them. I am happy to hear of your sister's acceptance into Hogwarts, but I regret to inform you that Hogwarts is not able to offer you the same invitation, nor do I believe would you enjoy it quite as much as your sister would even if we could. You, sadly, do not posses the same gene that allows for your sister to be able to do the magic that she does and without it an education to you at Hogwarts would be quite frustrating._

 _Even if you are unable to do magic, it does not make you less remarkable than your sister. Muggles are just as important as wizards and witches, Ms Evans, you should remember that._

 _Yours sincerely,_

 _Albus Dumbledore_

 _Headmaster_

"I can't believe she was able to write to Professor Dumbledore, they must have people working in the postal services as Muggles for when they got letters for our kind." He laughed before saying, "I can't believe she thinks _she_ could be a witch."

"That's not a nice to say, Severus, why can't she be a witch?" Lily asked affronted.

"Because she's ordinary, she has no magic running through her like you do."

Lily sighed before deciding she didn't want to argue with him about Petunia anymore.

—

"You really couldn't see it?" she asked curiously.

"No," her father said in amazement as he took in the inside of the pub that seemed to come out of nowhere. He walked up to the counter and asked for a Tom. Tom, who was the elderly innkeeper, lead them to the rear of the pub and tapped on the third brick up, second across three times before turning back. The wall opened leading them next to a sweetshop.

Her parents looked around amazed, as of just realising what being a witch meant. Petunia glared at everything, Lily knew it was only because she wanted to be going away too. She felt at home as they passed them witch and wizards in robes.

She giggled as she looked inside the windows of shops after having exchanged their money for wizarding ones. Everything looked so exciting and new, she was sad Severus had rejected her offer to come with them—but part of her hoped Tuney would have fun if he wasn't here.

—

Lily had seen everything from the eyes of a troll to a hat that turned to a rabbit (or did the rabbit turn into a hat). She had received her wand and couldn't wait to be able to finally attend Hogwarts—although the feeling was tainted by Petunia's attitude towards her but maybe she could convince the headmaster to allow her sister to attend once she was there.

She stood outside the Quidditch shop for longer than necessary, Severus hadn't mentioned Quidditch; Lily very much liked the idea of flying. It reminded her of the days her and Petunia would play on the swings.

Lily had also bought another potions book Severus might be interested in, he had been going over potions with her since she learned she was a witch. It was one of his favorite types of magic, she thought. She wasn't able to make any of the potions yet since they required a wand to actually finish the process.

Lily had visited Eeylop's Owl Emporium and saw the cutest owl ever, upon seeing it, Petunia claimed that she had a fear of birds and would run away if they bought it for Lily. Lily was trying not to let Petunia get to her, she knew she was just hurt. Lily saw a cute cat in the Magical Menagerie as well, but decided not to pursue it either.

—

Severus wished he hadn't rejected Lily's offer to go with her to Diagon Alley, but he hadn't wanted to let her see him buying anything secondhand when he knew all her things would be brand new. His things were purchased with the money he was sure his mother had been stealing from his father for months. They were still arguing, and his father still tended to be an abusive arse, but he had come to expect it—not that it hurt any less.*

There was only a month left before he'd be at Hogwarts where he belonged. He'd be popular and everyone would like him. He wouldn't have to worry about the Muggle filth that had bothered him for the last eleven years. Hogwarts would be his kingdom.

—

 _ **Prelude to Part V: Lily With or Against Severus , Hogwarts**_

They were both destined for greatness, but they were never meant to be on the same side. Yet that's how it began. They both expected to be on the same side, always. But she was a Gryffindor and he was a Slytherin, but weren't they too best friends? Yes, and they too fell out. He expected to be a king where there were those like him—a peasant expecting to be king. She expected to stay by his side. The thing about reality is it's not perfect. And this is how it all comes falling down.

—

 _ **Part V: Evans, Lily and Snape, Severus; Gryffindor and Slytherin, Friends or Foes?**_

" **Magical Mystery Tour," The Beatles**

—

Today was the day she was going to Hogwarts. They had left the house at a quarter after seven to drive to London in order for her to catch the Hogwarts Express. It was a three and a half hour drive with traffic and Petunia complaining about having to wake up so early.

They arrived at the platform on Euston Road at half-ten and crossed the barrier. Her father had helped her get her trunk on the train before they walked back towards her mum and sister. She watched Petunia as she she stood a bit apart from her parents who watched the platform in delight. After a moment she made to follow her, "I don't want to talk to you, Lily." Petunia said.

"I'm your sister," she said quietly, "Petunia, you have to listen, please," she begged.

"What do you want, you ruin everything."

"Look, I'm sorry, Tuney, I'm sorry! Listen —" She caught Petunia's hand and gripped it tightly, despite her sister's attempt to pull it away. "Maybe once I'm there — no, listen, Tuney! Maybe once I'm there, I'll be able to go to Professor Dumbledore and persuade him to change his mind!"

"I don't — want — to — go!" said Petunia as she took her hand from Lily's hold. "You think I want to go to some stupid castle and learn to be a — a —" she watched her sister as she scanned the platform until they finally returned to her, "— you think I want to be a — a freak?"

Lily's eyes began to water as Petunia took back her hand which her sister had once again gotten a hold of.

"I'm not a freak," Lily said defensively, "That's a horrible thing to say."

"That's where you're going," said Petunia with a joy at causing her sister emotional pain. "A special school for freaks. You and that Snape boy . . . weirdos, that's what you two are. It's good you're being separated from normal people. It's for our safety."

Lily looked over to where her parents stood, her father's green eyes and mother's blue ones taking everything in, attempting to savour it. Lily was angry for a moment as she once more turned her attention to Petunia, her voice no louder than a whisper as she fiercely stated, "You didn't think it was such a freak's school when you wrote to the headmaster and begged him to take you."

Petunia blushed. "Beg? I didn't beg!" she denied.

"I saw his reply. It was very kind." said Lily in a gentler tone than before.

"You shouldn't have read —" Petunia said lowering her voice in embarrassment, "that was my private — how could you — ?"

Lily tried to glance inconspicuously at Severus who she knew wasn't standing far off but knew she failed when she heard Petunia's gasp.

"That boy found it! You and that boy have been sneaking in my room!" Petunia shouted in outrage.

"No — not sneaking —" She said quickly, attempting to get Severus and herself out of the mess. "Severus saw the envelope, and he couldn't believe a Muggle could have contacted Hogwarts, that's all! He says there must be wizards working undercover in the postal service who take care of —"

"Apparently wizards poke their noses in everywhere!" Petunia said, her face blanched. " _Freak_!" she said angrily before striding over to where her parents were.

Lily felt the tears in her eyes start to flood and quickly ran towards the train, dragging her carry on bag as she looked for a compartment. She found an empty one—although the luggage meant someone had been here—and proceeded to cry.

—

Severus stood a short distance away from the Evanses with his mother. He stared at the two girls who were obviously bickering. He saw Lily briefly glance at him and wondered what they were discussing. Eventually, Petunia stormed off, and Lily ran off as if her life were in jeopardy. He was about to go after him when his mother stopped him.

"Don't make my mistakes, Severus," she said quietly, "Remember, you're a Prince, and consorting with a Mudblood won't get you anywhere in Slytherin."

"She's Lily." he said defiantly. "And should you really be giving me advice when you married Muggle filth." he stormed off away from his mother. He took a set of robes to change into and shoved the luggage where it belonged. He quickly made to go find a loo where he could change in order to discard his shabby Muggle clothes.

After changing and tossing away the Muggle clothing (he had no use for it at Hogwarts), he hurried along the corridor of the train in search of Lily. A flash of red caught his eye as he arrived outside a rather loud compartment. He slid open the door and hurried over to Lily who had her face pressed against the windowpane; he sat down opposite her. She glanced up at him and back out the window. Her eyes were slightly red from crying.

"I don't want to talk to you," she said in a constricted voice. "Why not?"

"Tuney h-hates me. Because we saw that letter from Dumbledore."

"So what?"

She threw him a look of deep dislike.

"So she's my sister!"

"She's only a —" He caught himself not wanting another reason for her to be displeased with him.

"But we're going!" he said joyfully. "This is it! We're off to Hogwarts!"

—

Lily nodded as she wiped her eyes, giving him a half-smile.

"You'd better be in Slytherin," he told her, she smiled a bit happier this time

.

"Slytherin?" she heard another boy say. She looked up and saw a black-haired, hazel-eyed boy with glasses. "Who wants to be in Slytherin? I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?" he asked the boy opposite him, who too had black hair—although his was far more elegant than the other boy's. The other boy did not smile.

"My whole family have been in Slytherin," he said.

"Blimey," repeated the hazel-eyed boy, "and I thought you seemed all right!" the grey-eyed boy grinned. "Maybe I'll break the tradition. Where are you heading, if you've got the choice?"

Hazel-eyed pretended to lift a sword into the air, "'Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart!' Like my dad." Severus made a small, unpleasant sound. The bespectacled boy turned on him. "Got a problem with that?"

"No," said Severus, sneering. She'd never seen him act this way with anyone besides her sister. "If you'd rather be brawny than brainy —"

"Where're you hoping to go, seeing as you're neither?" interjected the one with grey eyes.

The one with glassed roared with laughter, and although he was cute and had a nice laugh, Lily wished he would have kept his mouth shut. She sat up, flushed, and shifted her gaze from hazel to grey in disapproval.

"Come on, Severus, let's find another compartment." she said.

"Oooooo . . ." she heard them mock as she passed.

"See ya, Snivellus!" a voice called—she thought it belonged to Grey—as the compartment door slammed.

"Don't listen to them, Sev, they're just a bunch of berks."

—

She was angry at those boys as she walked down a corridor, how dare they treat Sev that way when they didn't even know him.

She walked into a semi-empty compartment, "Hello," Lily said to the sandy-haired boy with green eyes. "I'm Lily, and this is my friend Severus." She gestured towards Sev, Severus thought the boy looked a bit too sick for his taste. "May we sit with you?"

"Of course, I'm Remus Lupin," he said politely. Lily noticed a cat poke its head out from under Remus's seat. It came out and leapt itself onto Severus. Severus tried kicking the cat off him, and Lily—who had always loved animals—tried to stop him, "Severus, don't kick it!"

"Leo, stop that!" the sandy-haired boy said, prying the cat off of the black-haired boy. Severus glared at him, "Let's go, Lily." he commanded.

Lily, however, was too busy babying the cat to give Severus any attention. "Leo did you say?" she questioned Lupin as she pet the monster adoringly. "What kind of cat is he? I've never seen one with that kind of tail."

"He's a Persian Cat, and he's an eight part kneazle."

"Kneazle?" questioned Lily, confused.

"You're a Muggle-born?" He asked Lily politely, she nodded. "They are very quite intelligent creatures, appearance-wise, they are a bit like cats. They have big ears, lion-like tails, and have spotted fur. They mate with cats, but even part-kneazles can detect suspicious people." He glanced briefly at Severus, who became stiff at the implication.

"Severus isn't suspicious," Lily defended him.

"I did not mean to offend you, Lily. I mean maybe the babies are not as intuitive."

"I'll see you around, Remus," Lily uttered before walking out of the compartment with Severus—who sneered at Remus—following.

—

After arriving at Hogwarts, they were led into the Entrance Hall where Professor Mcgonagall explained to them the Sorting Ceremony.* When she finally escorted them into the Great Hall, Lily had to hold in her surprise at the beauty of Hogwarts. The room was filled with thousands of candles that floated over the tables. In front of the students were golden plates and goblets. She looked at Severus whose face showed the same awe she was feeling.

Professor Mcgonagall led them to stand in front of the Hall facing the other students with the professors behind them. Lily looked at the ghost that spread themselves amongst the Hall—Severus never mentioned ghost.

She watched the black-haired professor as she placed a hat on the stool. "I told you so," Hazel Eyes whispered to her, she blushed and turned to glare at him.

—

"Black, Sirius," was called and she noticed it was the boy with grey eyes from the train. After he was sorted into Gryffindor the Hall became a bit quieter; the Gryffindor table (she assumed) clapped hesitantly, and she watched as Sirius gracefully sat down.

"What was that about?" Lily questioned, confused.

"He's a Black, Lily," he said it as if that were supposed to be obvious, "some families are always in certain houses. The Black family members are always sorted into Slytherin; guess he wasn't smart enough." she heard him sneer.

—

"Evans, Lily," she walked forward, her legs shaking and sat down the stool. Professor McGonagall dropped the Sorting Hat onto her head.

" _A strong head you have here,_ " it said, " _but you don't belong in Slytherin like you want to believe, better be GRYFFINDOR!_ " She handed the hat back to her professor before heading towards the Gryffindor table, giving Severus a sad smile as she passes, she had tried.

Sirius, as she had learnt, moved up the bench for her, she gave him a look before folding her hands and turning her back on him. She would not allow herself to become friendly with someone who could so easily mock Severus and her.

—

Severus watched Lily join the Gryffindor table, it wasn't fair; she was supposed to be with him not _them_. He groaned as another Gryffindor was called.

By the time it was Potter, James turn to be sorted he had had enough. He would not allow Lily to be left alone with them, he'd just have to ask to be in Gryffindor; it couldn't be that hard.

" _You are not a Gryffindor,_ " it had said before loudly declaring him a Slytherin. He sat next to a blond-haired boy with a badge pinned to his chest, the boy patted him on the back causing him to stiffen. "Lucius Malfoy," the boy said.

"Severus Snape," he declared himself.

"Snape," he questioned.

"My mum was of the Prince lineage, married a filthy Muggle," he mumbled the last part.

"Your father's a Muggle?"

"He's only a father by blood, my mum was barmy enough to procreate with him. Merlin knows why," Lucius looked at him approvingly.

—

"I'm April Elliots," a blonde-haired girl introduced herself.

"I'm Lily Evans," she replied, and whispered, "Are you a Muggle-born too?"

She nodded, "Mum and dad were so happy to finally understand why I did the most bizarre things."

"I already knew I was a witch, I found out when I was nine."

"How?"

And they began to talk, a friendship formed that she would eventually need to be able to bear the destruction of another.

—

Severus watched as she giggled at something a blonde girl said—was she already trying to replace him?

"Mind passing the pumpkin juice," Thomas Flint asked, well at least he'd still see her in classes he contented himself with.

"...Sirius Black is in Gryffindor." he heard a dark-haired, blue-eyed girl say, "Dad wants me to marry him, and I fancy him, but he's a Gryffindor."

He watched who he thought to be Cordelia Lefeu sigh, "He is very dreamy, will your parents still allow you to see him?"

"My cousin is still of the Noble House of Black, even if he has mucked up by being a Gryffindor," the blonde girl by Lucius said, scrunching up her nose, "Aunt Walburga and Uncle Orion will fix this in no time."

—

Lucius Malfoy, along with Narcissa Black—his girlfriend and cousin of the shameful Sirius Black—led them to a stone wall where the Slytherin Common Room lied behind.

"The password is Salazar.* It changes every fortnight and will be posted on the notice board, do try to have some intelligence and remember it." said Lucius as he lead them up.

The common room was in the dungeons. It was a long, low underground room with rough stone walls and ceiling—where green-like lamps hung on chains. There were carved chairs around the room and a fire under the carved mantlepiece. It was dark and had many cupboards and tapestries of famous Slytherins. Sofas lied around the room.

"As there are only six of you," Lucius said after leading them to the door that was for their year, "you will be sharing one dormitory as opposed to when there are eight or more.* Curfew is half-eight until your fifth year and anyone caught out will be given and detention or lose house points, unless you know the right people that is." he gave Severus a wink at this. "Goodnight."

—

Lily followed the dark-haired girl along with April taking in her surroundings—the common room was beautiful, like something she'd take out of a story book; she had little time to look as she was led through a door and up the staircase. The prefect led them outside another door before pausing. "I'm Marlene McKinnon, sixth year. This is your dormitory, the staircases turn into a slide if the lads try coming up here—but don't tell them, it's always funny to watch. There's only seven of you, so you'll all be sharing it—the boys have two because there's nine of them. Curfew is at eight-thirty until your fifth year." she paused before adding, "If you have any problems you can come to me, but please don't bother me about someone nicking your pillow or anything ridiculous. Sleep well," she said before departing.

Lily walked through the door and into her new was finally somewhere where she belonged, and no one—not even her sister—could take that from her. She took the bed by the window and watched as April took the one to her right and Cait MacDougal* took the one to her left.

Tomorrow will be better, she promised, before taking off her robes and falling asleep in her Muggle clothes.

—

 **A/N: Sorry for the long wait but I have been busy.**

 **Read and Review. I'll try updating as soon as I can, but I have no idea what happens in the next chapter except for two events really. Nor do I know how long it will be.**

 **Also, any dates listed in this story are from the actual calendar of that year in case you're wondering.**

 **How did you guys like/not like Snape? Like I said I hate the guy, but I did feel bad having to write his abuse (although it's not as descriptive as I originally thought).**

 **Questions:**

 **does anyone know when the student** _ **don't**_ **have to wear robes because they always seem to in the books.**

 **The Potters named Peter their secret keeper in October (a week before Halloween), yet he knew where they lived since at** _ **least**_ **July of that year (Lily mentions him in her letter to Sirius), so why didn't he give them up before? Did Sirius actually become Secret Keeper and then give his responsibilities to Peter or…?**

 **What did you think of Sirius's chapter, childhood?**

 **And Snape's?**

 **Asterisk time!:**

 **1\. Tobias couldn't have been that bad at first, or Eileen wouldn't have fallen for him. Most abusers I think don't resemble it or show their true character until it's too late for the victim.**

 **2\. I switch park and playground around but it's the same thing basically.**

 **3\. Eileen is going through a bit of postpartum depression (read the Yellow Wallpaper, a short story where the person deals with this as well)—I've always felt like she would have felt like this because Snape just seems like a child who would have grown up in that environment.**

 **4\. Their dad is a bobbie/cop, so I think it's only natural for Petunia to become someone who lives by them as well as her being the older sibling.**

 **5\. She's a child, and Petunia is from an industrial town in the English Midlands (canon), she would have wanted to leave at one point and marry up—even though the Evanses are probably better off than most in their town considering Petunia's attitude and Vernon's willingness to marry her.**

 **6\. This is actually based on something that happened to me when I was mad (as is Lily's bunny). I was in the kitchen, mad and suddenly the cake cover just exploded and glass went everywhere. I was so freaked out (I was 15 or 16 I think). This has no relation to the similar thing that happens to James, shattering/exploding things is probably one of the most common accidental magic (Harry in PoA).**

 **7\. Anna, not the one mentioned by Sirius.**

 **8\. Break, I'm assuming Brits have this as well (I couldn't find anything to contradict it).**

 **9\. She doesn't know about Lily being a witch yet, so I think Petunia would have been more accepting of this and playful due to knowing it's not real.**

 **10\. The British Mother's Day is three weeks before Easter unlike the American one.**

 **11\. The Beatles came out sometime in the early sixties, but they're awesome who wouldn't have loved them.**

 **12\. Lily doesn't mind rain but I feel like it's in her nature to care for others, so her magic extended to help Petunia. Lily is a powerful which but not all powerful—she's self-aware of her accidental magic and emotions for the most part which is why she can control it better (which will later manifest better when she does spells with wands), so most of what she can do wand less will go away.**

 **13\. Everyone always talk about James being an arrogant child but from the moment he met Petunia, Severus kind of implied he was better by stating that she was just a Muggle—which he does at least once more in canon (although he cuts himself off, but we can infer what he was going to say).**

 **14\. He's a child, it's likely that he's just as prejudice as James was; especially considering what he said to James when he showed a desire for Gryffindor.**

 **15\. I tried to show the comparison to him and Sirius (which might come into play next chapter) , they both kind of expect to be abused and mistreated and just decide to give in one way or another at that point in their childhood. That's why the abuse gets mentioned less and less because they see it as such a strong part of their life that they feel as if it's Insignificant.**

 **16\. I didn't feel like redescribing it (same reason we don't hear much about Diagon Alley from Lily).**

 **17\. I know it sounds like an easy password, but anyone who isn't a Slytherin would have to find their common room first, and when they guessed the password, have to face the wrath of the Slytherins (I can't wait to start writing the marauders adventures—PS I won't be referring to them as marauders, unless it saying "marauder" not marauders since I read this article that made a good point of them probably not going by it since it says THE Marauder's (singular) Map, like say A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy).**

 **18\. I made this rule because I didn't want three people in a room if there were six people sorted. I have everyone's name in their year written and sorted out already. There are a total of 61 people (including them) in there year, 21 more than in Harry's and the number of girls, boys, ad house number in general differs. There are 13 Slytherins (7 Girls, 6 Boys), 17 Hufflepuffs (9 v. 8), 15 Ravenclaws (8 and 7), and 16 Gryffindors (7 v 9). I'll include the list in the next chapter's top author's note if you want, review and say yay or nay.**

 **19\. A MacDougal was a Ravenclaw but that doesn't mean all of them are, although Cait does have a brother in Ravenclaw two years ahead of them. Remember just because they share a name does not mean they're the parents (it could be uncle, aunts, distant cousins, etc.) of the characters in Harry Potter.**


	5. Teaser Update

Disclaimer for excerpt: I do not own Harry Potter or anything HP related only the plot of this story.

In case anyone is wondering I have not given up, I've been sick recently and too tired to write as a result. Therefore, I have yet to finish this chapter and have therefore decided to give you an excerpt of it. When I am finished with it, I estimate it will be around 20 to 30 thousand words.

I've also been writing a list of anyone to attend Hogwarts with the Marauders (both canon and characters I've made up), to help me organize better, I'm nearly done.

Info on the chapter to come:

-As said it will be long

-It takes place from the early morning of September second until before they leave for Christmas break

-it will likely include perspectives from all the main characters (maybe even Petunia and Regulus, have yet to decide).

Info on the chapters to come:

-they too will be long

-chapter 6 is either going to be just christmas break or C.B plus January to before Easter Break, the following just Easter Break or like the Christmas ones, Easter and March/April (I forgot when Easter takes place that year but I have it written down somewhere) through June. Then I'll have two to three chapters for their summer break.

I HAVE QUESTIONS AFTER THE EXCERPTS SO ENJOY:

 _ **Part I: September**_

James Potter couldn't sleep.* He hadn't realised until he had been turning for the last hour that he had never slept anywhere but his home in Wales—unless you count the few times he's gone camping, but he had his parents with him then. It was a weird feeling, not being able to just talk to his parents whenever he wanted.

He got up from his bed and saw the others had their curtains drawn, he quietly opened the door and slipped out into the common room.

He sat by the fireplace wondering what the next seven years would bring—would he be popular, would he meet the person he would marry, would he be on the Quidditch team next year? James wasn't an insecure lad but something about the quietness of the night brought it up. He heard the sound of feet and looked up—Sirius and Remus* (with Leo in his arms) were descending the staircase that led to the boys' dormitory.

"What are you two doing up?" he asked them.

"Couldn't sleep, and I heard you get up," said Remus.

"I'm a light sleeper," Sirius shrugged, "Why are you up, James?" he asked taking the seat next to him, Remus walked to sit in front of them, Leo curling up on his lap.

"I've never been away from my parents for more than a few hours. I won't get to see them for almost four months."

"My mum used to send Regulus and I to my uncle Cygnus' when we were younger, almost wish they had left us there."

"Don't you miss your parents?" James asked them.

Sirius shrugged, "I miss Reg," he said simply.

"I never been on my own, my parents liked to keep me close," Remus said, it wasn't really a lie, he told himself.

"I wonder if we'll have Professor Mcgonagall tomorrow," Sirius asked attempting to escape the uncomfortable topic of family.

"I hope so," James said with a twinkle in his eyes.

"I think she may have a heart attack with you two around." Remus stated faux seriously.

Sirius grinned, "If only that would work on cousin Bella."

Leo jumped around and onto James, "Does the kitten like being pet?" James asked him, stroking his fur as the cat purred in response. "I had a cat when I was younger," he said recalling Godric, "he was ginger* with blue eyes, I got him when I turned six."

"You didn't bring him to Hogwarts?" asked Remus.

"Er, he ran away last summer, I think."

"You think?" Sirius raised an eyebrow at him.

James blushed slightly, "I may have accidently turned him invisible because he kept scratching me when I was in dad's study. I tried looking for him, but I couldn't find him. I suspect the gnomes kidnapped him." Sirius was shaking his head, "Mum and dad offered to get me another one, but I thought it was too soon to replace Godric. Dad got us tickets to see the Appleby Arrows play the Wimbourne Wasps instead, it was mental—lasted two days. Mum lost her voice during that match, she's a bigger Quidditch fan than dad, but he's the one who plays it with me."

"Did he play Quidditch at Hogwarts?" questioned Sirius.

James shook his head, "No, he was too busy being in detention—mum would say—or experimenting with potions or goofing off with my late uncle Ian. Did either of your parents play?"

"My parents aren't really 'work for something' kinds of people," Sirius said shrugging.

"My mum's a Muggle," Sirius' eyes widen slightly, but he said nothing—his mother and father would not be pleased. "My dad was more of a study now, have fun later in life person."

"Which are you?" James asked.

"I'm not sure. Both? Neither?" James laughed lightly.

"What do you think it'll be like, actually getting to be at Hogwarts?"

"I think my mum will have a heart attack by the end of the week," predicted Sirius.

"Why?" Remus asked.

"I'm a Gryffindor, Rem, my family prides itself on being of pure-blood status and being in Slytherin. I'm the heir to the Black name, it's my job to follow traditions, so being a Gryffindor of all houses isn't ideal."

"But you're a Gryffindor," James grinned, "there isn't a better house." Leo yawned in his lap, "Poor Leo, you're abusing the cat, Remy." Remus smiled sleepily at him.

"Should we head to bed," yawned Remus, "it's almost three in the morning."

"Yeah, sure," Sirius stood up, stretching his arms. "When's breakfast?"

"Half-seven," muttered James as they ascended the stairs to their dormitory.*

—

Lily awoke early the next morning at half past six, she couldn't believe she was actually at Hogwarts. She couldn't believe it was real! She wished Petunia could be here with her, maybe if she was then they could finally be like they once were….

QUESTION TIME:

Something I've been trying to understand is Lily and James went into hiding probably around August/September 1980. Peter had visited them around late July/Early August 1981 (he was already a spy for Voldemort by then), yet he didn't become their secret keeper until mid to late October considering Sirius said in POA that he had only been their secret keeper for a week before turning them into Voldemort. So was Sirius their secret keeper before and they switched roles? Remus does say something along the lines of "unless you switched and didn't tell me because you thought I was the spy." It would make sense, Peter could still visit and not be able to tell Voldemort their location. Opinions?

Are there any songs that you guys like that remind you of any characters or ships, write any of you review, it gets my creative (or not so) running.

I have more I just can't remember, but I'll try to update by next week. And HAPPY (err, technically sad) Battle of Hogwarts Day.


	6. Still No Chapter, Sorry!

Another author's note on excuses why I haven't written the chapter yet.

I haven't finished writing the list of students. It's harder than you think, for the most part I have more than fifty students per year, and I'm trying to make sure I have a realistic amount of muggle-borns, purebloods, and half-bloods. I only have Slytherin and Gryffindor left but since almost all the main characters are from those houses, I want to make sure I'm happy with the list.

I'm contemplating something. I'm not sure if I'm going to have the marauders do pranks or not. Like I've stated in previous chapters, I want to make the story realistic to canon (why I won't have neither James nor Snape as angels nor demons, why James won't be obsessed with Lily and ask her out an absurd number of times, etc). And I don't think they were pranksters, they're described as similar to Fred and George but more due to their troublemaker habits I believe. I might have them do tricks on people, but I won't describe it as most fanfics do.

I can already tell you, mine will be different in terms of the description of characters than perhaps 90% of fanfics you've read. And I'll list some more of the differences here:

-James' parents are obviously canon

-Lily won't be that mean to James-unless she sees him doing things he shouldn't be, but even then I'm going to try to keep it more as stern than her being a b**** as she tends to come across in most of the FFs I've read.

-I don't know if I stated this before, but Remus and Lily won't be friends until around the time James and her are friends/friendlier. A lot of FFs have Lily and him as friends way before her and James and to me that's unrealistic because of Snape. Snape hated the marauders, and Lily stuck with Snape longer than most would have (since she was in denial about what he was becoming), so it shows she's loyal. And she wouldn't have befriended someone who allows her friend to be bullied, same goes for Remus. He's loyal and grateful and wouldn't befriend someone who seemed to hate one of his best friends. Also the fact that Lily says, "They say he's ill," rather than "He's ill."

-I've already stated that Lily won't know he's a werewolf until sixth or seventh year. I've always thought that Lily is the type to deny bad news until she's not given a choice but to admit it (as with Snape). Plus she's not close with the boys, so she wouldn't pick up their habits.

-They won't be called the Marauders in my story. I think "the marauders" are more of a term for us to describe them as like "the golden trio." Plus, it's called The Marauder's Map (singular), and it makes no sense for them to go declaring their nicknames in public seeing as Remus' is Moony (yeah, they'll use them but it's not like they advertize them).

-Again, ***This paragraph talks about sex, so ignore if it makes you uncomfortable, but I'm rationalizing why James (and Sirius for that fact) won't be shagging every girl (or half the girls) in the acceptable years***. I refuse to describe them as that for many reasons. Sirius will still be a ladies' man but ladies' man does not mean they have to shag every girl they come in contact with. One of the reasons (for James) is because he was raised by older parents and I imagine them raising him to be more traditional in some aspects (some which he'll ignore, some which he won't). A second reason, is because I find it offensive the way some of these fanfics say that all these girls are so willing to sleep with James and Sirius (sometimes Peter and Remus as well but it's usually the former two) like there's something wrong with being a virgin or every girl would hop into bed with someone who is popular, good-looking, and rich. Think of the most popular, the richest, handsomest, or the best jock you know. And now think of how many girls you honestly think they slept with. Not every girl wants an one night stand, some want to wait for marriage or just don't want to jump into bed without some sort of feelings for a person (and not all guys would have sex with girls they barely know). As I was saying, it's disgusting the way a lot of FFs portray all these girls throwing themselves at James and Sirius (it's one thing to acknowledge someone's good looks and another to insinuate that any girls would hop into bed with rich, popular, handsome jocks and basically by that describing every girl as a slag). Three, I just don't think of James as that type. Four, it's the UK in the 70s. Apparently in the UK, the average age people lose their virginity is eighteen right now and in the 60s it was 22 (some say 50s-21), and 80s 20 (some say 17). Either way. I won't say every character will be a virgin, but a lot of the **main** characters will likely be.

-the distinction between James and Sirius (a lot of fanfics I think try to make them a bit too much alike, but I don't think they were, you'll hopefully see what I mean when I post the chapter).

I'm going to try finishing the names in one go, but I have like a hundred and thirty to go (most of slytherin and about half of gryffindor).

What to look forward to in the next chapter:

-full moon

-two characters fighting, making up (take your guess)

-howlers

-people being bullied/picked on (and it's not always Snape, but him too-I don't like Snape, like I've stated before-more like I hate him-but I will be making him realistic as possible).

-James

(Keep hanging on. Marie.)

Also, review and give me your opinions on what you think about my ideas, if you have any of your own (any headcanons, etc). I do value your opinions and will consider them.

Also do you think wizards (students) always wear robes or just during class hours/patrols/formal events?


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